I'm an Egyptian writer and I support this. The title misled me to think a certain way about your views but reading till the end I find that I agree with you and your prose that probes into the truth beyond the Go Israel and Free Palestine sentiments really hot home for me.
Great writing dude. Keep it up. Keep lighting the way. Keep asking for a deeper fix.
I'm a doctor as well and I totally resonate with the mission of your Substack and the need for us to go beyond the fucking bandaid.
Thanks for helping us heal with words. Looking forward to meeting you one day and having a long ass conversation.
Love your thoughtful response in both Deep Fix and Tablet. Can't agree more! I've encountered that deluded "progressive" thinking in my own family of origin. I can't even talk about Ukraine with my own sisters who believe Russia's invasion was Ukraine's fault due to its desire to join NATO. Talk about blaming the victim for the aggression! They think I'm naive for not perceiving the war as a conflict between the US and the Russian Federation with Ukraine caught in the middle. There are plenty of Israeli's and Jews around the world who have supported a two-state solution. What Hamas did is absolutely inexcusable. Hamas IS a death cult. But it does not represent all Palestinians. Nothing is more destructive in civic and political discourse than simplistic binary thinking that doesn't get to the heart of the matter. Unfortunately extreme crises tend to obfuscate the larger, more nuanced realities.
This is the kind of cogent conversation that I wish could spur on social media, but, by design, cannot. It goes back to what you said about fear of cancellation- as writers, it paralyzes us into ideological tip-toeing. A lot of people have acted like there’s no room for “nuance” here, and that even uttering the word is violence against Palestine. Like you, I’ve been a major supporter of Palestinian liberation for years, but I still think this conflict deserves critical thinking and nuance more than maybe anything else in the world. Grateful you shined a light 🫶🏼
Great post. I know a Substacker w 60 days on Halloween's opinion might not mean ish, but I feel as more people eat ish on social w their hot takes, they will , as they say in the rooms, learn to share an honest message. And principles might finally come before personalities. Will read your Tablet piece. Btw thanks for introducing me to Adyashanti
Ideology, like money, concentrates. The correlation is interesting and meaningful.
Avoiding ideological possession has always been extremely challenging.
The only means of resisting such possession is to avoid delegating one's reasoning processes to another. This is not an easy task, however simple its method.
One can only make their best effort and acknowledge error as forthrightly as possible.
What a difference waiting three weeks to read that makes (I have to take my news in small doses these days)... I haven’t said anything about this war online, as there’s too many idiots already talking, and I wouldn’t know what to say anyway, except thank you for writing this. It must be hard to step into political writing, on top of everything you must be feeling, and I hope it gives at least some perspective to those who read it. And may all their memories be a blessing, Israeli and Palestinian.
Oh, It works. / I have read the article: "Tablet." It says "sense-making" at one point, a good example of the rhetoric of this group that is currently active (the ones you quit) and calls itself "left." The concept of "sense-making," etc. is fine. These are all perfectly good views. All that could be put into honest hands and re-framed. The ideas themselves are not bad, there is something else here, and I agree that any sane person should run the other way. They are no one to hold these ideas ---- they are not a good container. For example.
Okay, would you want a jewel in a fine, honest, and sincere bowl or basket or a flawed, evil, contrived basket? There would be no question about putting the good thing in a good basket.
It's a concept that has been explored extensively by Canadian author/activist, Naomi Klein. She's written quite a few excellent books, a number of which have been bestsellers and have been translated into 28 languages! (Interestingly she's the daughter of two self-described American hippies who emigrated to Canada in 1967 as Vietnam War resisters. ) One can be pretty certain that anyone who pushes a simplistic black and white narrative likely has an agenda they're pushing. It's important to remember that this happens on the left as well as on the right. One of her concerns is the rise of corporate globalization, a topic Giridharadas also explores.
I'm an Egyptian writer and I support this. The title misled me to think a certain way about your views but reading till the end I find that I agree with you and your prose that probes into the truth beyond the Go Israel and Free Palestine sentiments really hot home for me.
Great writing dude. Keep it up. Keep lighting the way. Keep asking for a deeper fix.
I'm a doctor as well and I totally resonate with the mission of your Substack and the need for us to go beyond the fucking bandaid.
Thanks for helping us heal with words. Looking forward to meeting you one day and having a long ass conversation.
Love your thoughtful response in both Deep Fix and Tablet. Can't agree more! I've encountered that deluded "progressive" thinking in my own family of origin. I can't even talk about Ukraine with my own sisters who believe Russia's invasion was Ukraine's fault due to its desire to join NATO. Talk about blaming the victim for the aggression! They think I'm naive for not perceiving the war as a conflict between the US and the Russian Federation with Ukraine caught in the middle. There are plenty of Israeli's and Jews around the world who have supported a two-state solution. What Hamas did is absolutely inexcusable. Hamas IS a death cult. But it does not represent all Palestinians. Nothing is more destructive in civic and political discourse than simplistic binary thinking that doesn't get to the heart of the matter. Unfortunately extreme crises tend to obfuscate the larger, more nuanced realities.
Congrats on the byline! Tablet is dope. 🙌🏼
This is the kind of cogent conversation that I wish could spur on social media, but, by design, cannot. It goes back to what you said about fear of cancellation- as writers, it paralyzes us into ideological tip-toeing. A lot of people have acted like there’s no room for “nuance” here, and that even uttering the word is violence against Palestine. Like you, I’ve been a major supporter of Palestinian liberation for years, but I still think this conflict deserves critical thinking and nuance more than maybe anything else in the world. Grateful you shined a light 🫶🏼
Great post. I know a Substacker w 60 days on Halloween's opinion might not mean ish, but I feel as more people eat ish on social w their hot takes, they will , as they say in the rooms, learn to share an honest message. And principles might finally come before personalities. Will read your Tablet piece. Btw thanks for introducing me to Adyashanti
Heartfelt, articulate, thoughtful writing ✍️. Your voice weaves many thread’s together. Hoping for resolution.
I appreciate you so much.
Bravo Alex, terrific and brave piece, standing with you in solidarity.
I really appreciated this post and your article. Thank you.
Ideology, like money, concentrates. The correlation is interesting and meaningful.
Avoiding ideological possession has always been extremely challenging.
The only means of resisting such possession is to avoid delegating one's reasoning processes to another. This is not an easy task, however simple its method.
One can only make their best effort and acknowledge error as forthrightly as possible.
What a difference waiting three weeks to read that makes (I have to take my news in small doses these days)... I haven’t said anything about this war online, as there’s too many idiots already talking, and I wouldn’t know what to say anyway, except thank you for writing this. It must be hard to step into political writing, on top of everything you must be feeling, and I hope it gives at least some perspective to those who read it. And may all their memories be a blessing, Israeli and Palestinian.
Oh, It works. / I have read the article: "Tablet." It says "sense-making" at one point, a good example of the rhetoric of this group that is currently active (the ones you quit) and calls itself "left." The concept of "sense-making," etc. is fine. These are all perfectly good views. All that could be put into honest hands and re-framed. The ideas themselves are not bad, there is something else here, and I agree that any sane person should run the other way. They are no one to hold these ideas ---- they are not a good container. For example.
Okay, would you want a jewel in a fine, honest, and sincere bowl or basket or a flawed, evil, contrived basket? There would be no question about putting the good thing in a good basket.
[yeah the "Comments" section worked I mean]
It's a concept that has been explored extensively by Canadian author/activist, Naomi Klein. She's written quite a few excellent books, a number of which have been bestsellers and have been translated into 28 languages! (Interestingly she's the daughter of two self-described American hippies who emigrated to Canada in 1967 as Vietnam War resisters. ) One can be pretty certain that anyone who pushes a simplistic black and white narrative likely has an agenda they're pushing. It's important to remember that this happens on the left as well as on the right. One of her concerns is the rise of corporate globalization, a topic Giridharadas also explores.