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On The Pleasures Of Living in Gaza
Extract from Chapter 5: Wisdom and Strength of On the Pleasures of Living in Gaza: Remembering a Way of Life Now Destroyed by Mohammed Omer Almoghayer
She dreams of working for a tourism agency to ensure that people with disabilities have full accessibility and can join in all touristic activities.
“I’m lucky to have the support of my father, who has always been there for me,” she says. “The love of a father is the first foundation upon which a daughter builds her world, a source of strength and confident support that shapes her into the per son she becomes. I want to use my passion for technology to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. I want to empower them to travel and explore the world without limitations.” She grins brightly as she sips a cup of tea behind her laptop. “My father has shown me anything is possible, and I want to pass on a message of perseverance and possibility to others like me around the world.”
Yasmine has formed a close-knit community of friends who understand her needs and experiences. For her, disability brings people together in a unique way by fostering deep bonds and a sense of empathy otherwise hard to find. Their shared experiences create a special feeling of camaraderie that goes beyond any physical limitation. Not every person with disabilities can meet in person, but they have become more aware of each other’s inspiring journeys through social media groups. There was a time in the past when physical disabilities were stigmatized and even viewed with shame by most families. Now, a shift has taken place in the dominant cultural perspective. People like Ahmed, Aya, Khamis, and Yasmine are part of a community taking root in Gaza that champions the rights and unique skills and wisdom of people with disabilities.
One of the most striking stories I’ve come across is the story of two disabled men who became like one.
On a beautiful spring day in Gaza, Adli and Mansour are in need of a new pair of shoes. Their economic backgrounds are quite divergent, but they have been close since their school days. They pull up on their shared motorcycle outside a local shoe shop and make their way inside on their crutches. Both are excited to try on the latest styles and quickly settle on a pair they both love. They split the cost. Adli pays for the left shoe, which is all he needs, and Mansour pays for the right. They love that they have the same taste in shoes and the same-sized feet, and they laugh and joke with the shop owner, who has never before seen two customers come in to buy a single pair of shoes.
They tell him about a chilly afternoon when Adli noticed Mansour’s shoe looked worn out. He offered to give Mansour his other sneaker, since he didn’t need it and they had lost opposite legs in successive Israeli attacks. Mansour was hesitant, but Adli assured him they had the same shoe size and that the shoe would be comfortable and supportive. After trying on the shoe, Mansour realized it was indeed very comfortable, and he accepted Adli’s kind offer. They’ve been sharing shoes ever since.
I later meet them at a falafel shop, and as they wait for their food, Adli shares his story of fearlessly acting as a first responder during an Israeli attack, only to become a victim him self in a second strike.11 He was brought into the hospital in a coma, and a medical crew pronounced him dead. His broken body was transferred to the morgue.
Adli looks disturbed as he recalls what he was told of these events. Mansour sits silently, listening to his friend tell the story. Adli’s father arrived at the morgue to say a final fare well to his son only to feel Adli’s hand and realize it was warm; his son was still alive. His screams of joy echoed through the hospital as he embraced his son. Miraculously, Adli regained consciousness in the morgue and was returned to the hospital.
The doctors were astonished. Adli needed several operations in various Gulf states to fully recover, with Mansour by his side. Little did Mansour know that he, too, would lose a leg just a few months later.
Mansour’s younger brother witnessed the bombing that maimed Mansour but did not know his own brother was among the victims. He ran back to his house, breathless and shaking, saying, “Someone has been killed!” His mother’s face turned pale and she whispered a solemn prayer for the victim’s family, wishing them patience during this difficult time. Hours later, she learned that the victim was her own son, who had lost a leg and some fingers and had shrapnel in his head.
After recalling such sad memories, the two men eat their falafel sandwiches—Adli’s favorite—in pensive silence. “The only positive thing about being injured has been how it’s strengthened my friendship with Adli,” says Mansour. “We share everything and split expenses—after all, we are one soul with two bodies.”
“My other leg is over there,” Adli jokes, pointing to Mansour. Mansour laughs and responds, “Yes, and that’s my other leg, and I can’t even think of going anywhere without it, or without Adli.”
Adli grins. “Together, we are better than before we were injured.”
Mansour nods, his eyes lively.
They enjoy spending time together, whether it’s shopping, eating, relaxing, strolling along the beach, running errands, or riding their one motorcycle. Living in Shujaiya, in East Gaza City, a region heavily impacted by war, the two men like to walk together from the far eastern border to the seafront in the far west, passing through Gaza’s fishing hub. Despite their physical challenges, the friends continue to do their daily activities together, taking pleasure in the simple joys of life.
Both men get on their motorcycle and head back home, laughing once again and sharing stories that never seem to come to an end.
In this town, people with disabilities are supported and understood in ways often hard to come by elsewhere. They don’t have to fight for access, inclusion, or representation because everyone has sympathy for people whose bodies have been dismembered by Israel’s military hardware, and because the situation is so common. Disability has been normalized. When Adli and Mansour sit on the seafront to chat for hours, people stop and greet them as they watch the rhythmic motion of the waves in the ocean. They find joy in daily life and inspire others in the community to do the same.
Years later I catch up with the two men as we walk under a sycamore tree on Al-Mintar Hill, an area near their homes that overlooks Gaza City. Despite the city’s changes, it still retains a serene beauty, and Gazans try not to let an atmosphere of defeat take hold. In Shujaiya, people’s mode of resilience is to stay, stand firm, and try to enjoy life as best they can despite the odds stacked against them.
Mansour is now married to a wonderful woman named Neda. To his great joy, they are expecting a baby, and his wife is thrilled to have found a job selling homemade sweets online. She’s also happy her husband has the support he needs through his friend Adli.
“We are able to find joy by sharing all we have and continuing to care for one another even through pain,” says Mansour. As for the motorcycle: Mansour handles the gears and Adli steers. Everyone who sees them fly by on the street is amazed by their degree of cooperation.
“When we share a ride, I feel like a whole human body with nothing missing,” Mansour says with a lighthearted laugh as they head toward home with the sunset behind them.
{
"article":
{
"title" : "On The Pleasures Of Living in Gaza",
"author" : "Mohammed Omer Almoghayer",
"category" : "excerpts",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/on-the-pleasures-of-living-in-gaza",
"date" : "2025-06-18 14:26:00 -0400",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/81ia4Zbe0kL.jpg",
"excerpt" : "Extract from Chapter 5: Wisdom and Strength of On the Pleasures of Living in Gaza: Remembering a Way of Life Now Destroyed by Mohammed Omer Almoghayer",
"content" : "Extract from Chapter 5: Wisdom and Strength of On the Pleasures of Living in Gaza: Remembering a Way of Life Now Destroyed by Mohammed Omer AlmoghayerShe dreams of working for a tourism agency to ensure that people with disabilities have full accessibility and can join in all touristic activities.“I’m lucky to have the support of my father, who has always been there for me,” she says. “The love of a father is the first foundation upon which a daughter builds her world, a source of strength and confident support that shapes her into the per son she becomes. I want to use my passion for technology to make a difference in the lives of people with disabilities. I want to empower them to travel and explore the world without limitations.” She grins brightly as she sips a cup of tea behind her laptop. “My father has shown me anything is possible, and I want to pass on a message of perseverance and possibility to others like me around the world.”Yasmine has formed a close-knit community of friends who understand her needs and experiences. For her, disability brings people together in a unique way by fostering deep bonds and a sense of empathy otherwise hard to find. Their shared experiences create a special feeling of camaraderie that goes beyond any physical limitation. Not every person with disabilities can meet in person, but they have become more aware of each other’s inspiring journeys through social media groups. There was a time in the past when physical disabilities were stigmatized and even viewed with shame by most families. Now, a shift has taken place in the dominant cultural perspective. People like Ahmed, Aya, Khamis, and Yasmine are part of a community taking root in Gaza that champions the rights and unique skills and wisdom of people with disabilities.One of the most striking stories I’ve come across is the story of two disabled men who became like one.On a beautiful spring day in Gaza, Adli and Mansour are in need of a new pair of shoes. Their economic backgrounds are quite divergent, but they have been close since their school days. They pull up on their shared motorcycle outside a local shoe shop and make their way inside on their crutches. Both are excited to try on the latest styles and quickly settle on a pair they both love. They split the cost. Adli pays for the left shoe, which is all he needs, and Mansour pays for the right. They love that they have the same taste in shoes and the same-sized feet, and they laugh and joke with the shop owner, who has never before seen two customers come in to buy a single pair of shoes.They tell him about a chilly afternoon when Adli noticed Mansour’s shoe looked worn out. He offered to give Mansour his other sneaker, since he didn’t need it and they had lost opposite legs in successive Israeli attacks. Mansour was hesitant, but Adli assured him they had the same shoe size and that the shoe would be comfortable and supportive. After trying on the shoe, Mansour realized it was indeed very comfortable, and he accepted Adli’s kind offer. They’ve been sharing shoes ever since.I later meet them at a falafel shop, and as they wait for their food, Adli shares his story of fearlessly acting as a first responder during an Israeli attack, only to become a victim him self in a second strike.11 He was brought into the hospital in a coma, and a medical crew pronounced him dead. His broken body was transferred to the morgue.Adli looks disturbed as he recalls what he was told of these events. Mansour sits silently, listening to his friend tell the story. Adli’s father arrived at the morgue to say a final fare well to his son only to feel Adli’s hand and realize it was warm; his son was still alive. His screams of joy echoed through the hospital as he embraced his son. Miraculously, Adli regained consciousness in the morgue and was returned to the hospital.The doctors were astonished. Adli needed several operations in various Gulf states to fully recover, with Mansour by his side. Little did Mansour know that he, too, would lose a leg just a few months later.Mansour’s younger brother witnessed the bombing that maimed Mansour but did not know his own brother was among the victims. He ran back to his house, breathless and shaking, saying, “Someone has been killed!” His mother’s face turned pale and she whispered a solemn prayer for the victim’s family, wishing them patience during this difficult time. Hours later, she learned that the victim was her own son, who had lost a leg and some fingers and had shrapnel in his head.After recalling such sad memories, the two men eat their falafel sandwiches—Adli’s favorite—in pensive silence. “The only positive thing about being injured has been how it’s strengthened my friendship with Adli,” says Mansour. “We share everything and split expenses—after all, we are one soul with two bodies.”“My other leg is over there,” Adli jokes, pointing to Mansour. Mansour laughs and responds, “Yes, and that’s my other leg, and I can’t even think of going anywhere without it, or without Adli.”Adli grins. “Together, we are better than before we were injured.”Mansour nods, his eyes lively.They enjoy spending time together, whether it’s shopping, eating, relaxing, strolling along the beach, running errands, or riding their one motorcycle. Living in Shujaiya, in East Gaza City, a region heavily impacted by war, the two men like to walk together from the far eastern border to the seafront in the far west, passing through Gaza’s fishing hub. Despite their physical challenges, the friends continue to do their daily activities together, taking pleasure in the simple joys of life.Both men get on their motorcycle and head back home, laughing once again and sharing stories that never seem to come to an end.In this town, people with disabilities are supported and understood in ways often hard to come by elsewhere. They don’t have to fight for access, inclusion, or representation because everyone has sympathy for people whose bodies have been dismembered by Israel’s military hardware, and because the situation is so common. Disability has been normalized. When Adli and Mansour sit on the seafront to chat for hours, people stop and greet them as they watch the rhythmic motion of the waves in the ocean. They find joy in daily life and inspire others in the community to do the same.Years later I catch up with the two men as we walk under a sycamore tree on Al-Mintar Hill, an area near their homes that overlooks Gaza City. Despite the city’s changes, it still retains a serene beauty, and Gazans try not to let an atmosphere of defeat take hold. In Shujaiya, people’s mode of resilience is to stay, stand firm, and try to enjoy life as best they can despite the odds stacked against them.Mansour is now married to a wonderful woman named Neda. To his great joy, they are expecting a baby, and his wife is thrilled to have found a job selling homemade sweets online. She’s also happy her husband has the support he needs through his friend Adli.“We are able to find joy by sharing all we have and continuing to care for one another even through pain,” says Mansour. As for the motorcycle: Mansour handles the gears and Adli steers. Everyone who sees them fly by on the street is amazed by their degree of cooperation.“When we share a ride, I feel like a whole human body with nothing missing,” Mansour says with a lighthearted laugh as they head toward home with the sunset behind them."
}
,
"relatedposts": [
{
"title" : "Trump’s attack on Venezuela: An Exemplary Punishment",
"author" : "Simón Rodriguez",
"category" : "essays",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/trumps-attack-on-venezuela-an-exemplary-punishment",
"date" : "2026-01-14 10:13:00 -0500",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/Uncle_Sam_Straddles_the_Americas_Cartoon.jpg",
"excerpt" : "After four months of maritime siege in which the US military killed more than 100 people in alleged anti-drug trafficking operations and seized oil tankers, as well as the bombing of a small dock in northwestern Venezuela, Trump launched a large-scale attack and kidnapped de facto ruler Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were in Fuerte Tiuna, the country’s main military complex in Caracas.",
"content" : "After four months of maritime siege in which the US military killed more than 100 people in alleged anti-drug trafficking operations and seized oil tankers, as well as the bombing of a small dock in northwestern Venezuela, Trump launched a large-scale attack and kidnapped de facto ruler Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores, who were in Fuerte Tiuna, the country’s main military complex in Caracas.The invaders attacked civilian targets such as the port of La Guaira, the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, the Charallave airport, and electrical transmission infrastructure, as well as military installations in Caracas, Maracay, and Higuerote. The preliminary toll is around 80 dead and more than a hundred wounded. The US government claims that it suffered no casualties and that it had the support of infiltrators working for the CIA. This internal collaboration was crucial to the success of the attack.The Venezuelan military defeat has political causes, beyond US technical superiority. Chavismo has prioritized coup-proofing over military effectiveness, going so far as to have one of the highest rates of generals per capita in the world, who have been given control of various economic sectors for cronyism. Furthermore, the government lacks a military strategy for asymmetric resistance to imperialist aggression.During Chávez’s administration, in 2007, there was debate over which military model to adopt. Retired General Müller Rojas criticized the large investments in sophisticated military equipment, proposed by then-Defense Minister Raúl Isaías Baduel, proposing instead a doctrine of popular resistance and asymmetric warfare. Chávez settled the debate in Baduel’s favor, and in the following years, the Venezuelan government spent billions of dollars on arms purchases from Russia and China. This equipment proved useless in the face of the US attack, as the late Müller Rojas predicted, but it was part of the patronage system that enriched the Chavista military. Ironically, Baduel died as a political prisoner in 2021.A corrupt military may be useful for repressing workers, students, or indigenous peoples, but it can easily be bribed. Maduro himself does not seem to have had much confidence in the military, having entrusted his security largely to Cuban personnel, 32 of whom died in the US attack.Vice President Delcy Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency. She declared a state of emergency to avoid the constitutional requirement to call elections in the event of the head of state’s absence. The US government has stated that, through the continuation of the naval blockade and the threat of a second attack, it hopes to ensure that the Venezuelan government serves US interests. When asked on January 4 whether they would use this pressure to demand the release of political prisoners, Trump responded emphatically that he is interested in oil, and everything else can wait. In spite of this, the Venezuelan government announced on January 8 the unilateral release of an unspecified number of political prisoners. Human rights NGOs estimate there are around 800 political prisoners.The rights of Venezuelans have never interested Trump, as demonstrated not only by his lack of interest in democratic rights in Venezuela, but also by the racist persecution of Venezuelan immigrants in the US, stigmatized by Trump as criminals and mentally ill people allegedly sent by Maduro to “invade” the country, a fascistic discourse endorsed by the Venezuelan right-wing leader María Corina Machado. Thousands of Venezuelans have been deported to Venezuela, while hundreds have been sent to the CECOT, Latin America’s largest torture center, run by the dictatorship of El Salvador, under false accusations of belonging to the Tren de Aragua, a gang classified as a terrorist organization by Trump.Delcy Rodríguez has reportedly already reached an agreement with Trump to deliver between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil. The US government would sell the oil, establishing offshore accounts for this purpose outside the control of its own Treasury Department; part of the petrodollars generated would be used to pay debtors, and payments in kind would be made to the Venezuelan state, including equipment and supplies for oil production itself, as well as food and medicine.This policy bears similarities to the “Oil for food” program applied as part of the sanctions regime of the 1990s against Iraq. That program became a huge source of corruption in the UN. We can expect something similar or worse from Trump’s corrupt government. Chevron, which already is the main oil extractor in Venezuela, is lobbying for a privileged role in Trump’s plans for oil theft, enforced through a naval blockade and threats of new attacks, as the stock capacity on land or in ships off the Venezuelan coast reached their limit and the alternative was to stop production. On January 9, Trump met executives from Chevron, Conoco-Phillips, Exxon-Mobil, among other oil companies, to lay out the profits opportunities in Venezuela enhanced by military intervention.We are facing a new version of imperialist “gunboat diplomacy” and the methods of the “Roosevelt Corollary,” on which the US based its invasion of Latin American and Caribbean countries in the first half of the 20th century, taking control of their customs, as in the cases of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Nicaragua.Rodríguez’s capitulation has been interpreted by some as evidence that her rise to power was agreed with Trump, as startlingly quickly negotiations for the restoration of diplomatic relations, which were severed since 2019, have begun. For this purpose, a US delegation visited Caracas on January 9. Certainly, Chavismo’s anti-imperialism was always rather performative, it did not even nationalize the oil industry, and the US maintained an important presence through Chevron. The US remained Venezuela’s main trading partner until at least 2024.The regime is cooperating with the extortionist Trump, not resisting. The traditional right-wing opposition, which celebrated the January 3 attack (describing it as the beginning of Venezuela’s liberation), welcomes Trump’s measures. Not even Trump’s humiliation of Machado, when he declared she lacked “support” and “respect” within Venezuela, has led Venezuelan Trumpists to regain a modicum of sobriety. Their entire political strategy, after Maduro’s 2024 electoral fraud, has been solely to wait for Trump to hand them power.Trump’s priorities are different, although they could converge in the future with Machado: to distract attention from recently published documents reflecting his friendship with the criminal Jeffrey Epstein; to enhance his foreign policy based on extortion, refuting the Democratic slogan “Trump Always Chickens Out”, and to manage billions of petrodollars at the service of his business circle. And finally, in a more strategic sense, it represents the application of the new National Security doctrine, which gives priority to absolute US control of the hemisphere, expelling its imperialist competitors, China and Russia. Venezuela represented the most vulnerable point in the hemisphere for spectacular and exemplary military action. After the attack on Venezuela, threats against Colombia, Mexico, and even Greenland follow.Chavismo itself largely created its own vulnerability after years of anti-popular and anti-worker policies, such as imposing a minimum wage of less than USD$5 per month, eliminating workers’ freedom of association, persecuting indigenous peoples, defunding public health and education, and forcing the migration of 8 million Venezuelan workers, all while favoring the emergence of a new Bolivarian bourgeoisie through rampant corruption, creating new chasms of social inequality.Until 2015, Chavismo ruled with the support of electoral majorities. After its defeat in that year’s parliamentary elections, it took a dictatorial turn, relying on repression and electoral fraud, while bleeding the economy dry to pay off foreign debt, creating hellish hyperinflation. The economy contracted by around 80% between 2013 and 2021, most of this before US sanctions. The destruction was such that the export of scrap metal, obtained from the dismantling of abandoned industries, became one of Venezuela’s largest exports.It is illustrative to recall the cables from the US embassy in Caracas to the State Department, published by Wikileaks, which asked the Obama administration not to publicly confront Chávez, as this would strengthen him in the context of widespread popular rejection of the US. The current situation is different, with many Venezuelans cynically accepting US domination. Opposing imperialist intervention, on the other hand, does not save dissidents from persecution either. The presidential candidate backed by the Communist Party of Venezuela in 2024, Enrique Márquez, has been in prison for 10 months without formal charges.The humiliation to which the Venezuelan people are subjected today, under the double yoke of a dictatorship and a US siege, is brutal. The policy of aggression against Latin America and the Caribbean, the perceived sphere of US dominance, gains momentum with this attack. In the face of this we need a continental response, to defend the possibility of a free and dignified future for Venezuela and for all of Latin America and the Caribbean."
}
,
{
"title" : "A Lone Protester, Rain or Shine: One Man’s Daily Act of Dissent in Japan",
"author" : "Yumiko Sakuma",
"category" : "essays",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/a-lone-protester-rain-or-shine",
"date" : "2026-01-13 10:00:00 -0500",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/Cover_EIP_Lone_Gaza_Japan.jpg",
"excerpt" : "Photographs by Chisato Hikita",
"content" : "Photographs by Chisato HikitaThe way Japan’s grassroots activism has shown up for the people of Palestine has been nothing short of extraordinary. In a country known for its low political engagement, I’ve met countless newly woken activists who not only joined the international movement but have also incorporated direct action into their daily lives through street protests, fundraising events and content creation, writing campaigns, etc. Many of them express frustration that demonstrations in Japan aren’t as large as those abroad, or that their efforts seem to yield little visible change, but their persistence and quiet stubbornness are unlike anything I’ve ever seen.One of the figures who has emerged from this movement is Yusuke Furusawa, who has taken to the streets every single day, seven days a week, for more than two years, usually for an hour or so each time. I came across him on social media and reached out while I was in Tokyo.The day we met was an excruciatingly hot Saturday in July. On my way to meet him near Shinjuku Station, a sprawling terminal of train lines, subways, and shopping complexes, he messaged to say he’d had to relocate because of a nearby Uyoku (right-wing nationalist) presence. As I exited one wing of the station, I passed a large crowd gathered around Uryu Hirano, a young hardline activist who had just lost her bid for a national council seat.Then I found Furusawa, delivering a monologue about what the Palestinian people have been enduring, about the complicity of the Japanese government, and about the tangled relationship between the U.S. military-industrial complex and the Israeli state. He stood in the middle of two opposing streams of foot traffic, turning every few seconds to address people coming from both directions, waving a large flag and holding a sign that read “Stop GAZA Genocide.”In October 2023, he had been home-bound for Covid. “I was frustrated because I wanted to go to the protests but couldn’t. Finally, feeling restless, I eventually stumbled out holding a placard, that’s how it all began. When I thought about how I’ve never really taken any actions on this issue while seeing these terrible situations unfolding every day, I just couldn’t sort out my feelings.”Furusawa makes his living as a prop maker for a broadcasting company while occasionally getting gigs as a theater actor. He wasn’t particularly political until a few years ago when he joined a local grass-roots movement to elect Satoko Kishimoto, an environmental activist and water rights activist who had lived in Belgium, to be Suginami Ward mayor against the pro-business, pro-development incumbent. Especially, he was inspired by the Hitori Gaisen, solo street demonstration, movement which was triggered by one person who decided to campaign by standing quietly on the street with a sign, which spread like a wild fire and resulted in a win by Kishimoto, a move viewed as a victory of the People, who were determined to stop the over development and gentrification.'I’m not really good at group activities, so rallies and marches aren’t really my thing. I get too tired trying too hard to chant or keep up with everyone else.” Previously, he had been suffering from depression. “This has been helpful like as a daily rehabilitation activity.”Thus, he stands alone, daily and consistently. As I watched him speak under the glaring sun, I was struck by how most people don’t even look up, or notice him, seemingly so self-absorbed or focused on where they are going. Occasionally, non-Japanese people stop and take pictures of/with him. While I was there, a mother and a kid from Turkey stopped him to thank him through a translation app on her phone. She had tears in her eyes. Furusawa said he does get yelled at a few times a day and was once even choked by a person who identified as an IDF personnel.This was a few days after July 20th, when Japan had a national council election where more than 8 million people voted for candidates from the Sansei Party, which ran on “Japanese First” platform and a far-right, nationalist political messaging. Furusawa says, a few Japanese people who walk up to him with encouraging signs tend to be ultra nationalists and conservatives. “A lot of times, these guys who say to me ‘you are great for standing against the United States,’ are far right people, which makes me feel defeated.” And there are younger ones who mock him or laugh at him.Do you have an idea as to how long you’d be doing this? I asked him. Furusawa told me about the time an Aljazeela crew came to his apartment to shoot a segment on him. When he told them, “I will stop if Israel stopped bombing Gaza,” the reporter said, “That is how Japanese people forget about the Middle East.” Furusawa thinks about this episode daily. “I realized I hadn’t understood anything at all, and I felt this helplessness like all my actions over the past four months were being erased in an instant. That’s when I made the decision to do it every day. Those words swirled around me daily.”After I came back to New York, I procrastinated writing this story. I tried writing it many times in my head, but between being disappointed in the surge of xenophobia and racism in Japan, dealing with medical issues and being scared as an immigrant, my head was not in the right place to give a proper ending to this story. Then, so called “ceasefire” was announced. I thought of him and reached out.I apologized to him for not writing a story sooner. “I didn’t know how to write the story without glorifying the protest movements.”He told me attacks by people from Israel were happening increasingly, probably like three times more, especially after the UK recognized the state of Palestine. “They come at me with anger. I’ve also met a few people from Palestine thanking me with tears for what I do. I feel l need to keep a distance from these emotions because what I am really protesting against is the illegal occupation and apartheid of Palestine and how we are not really facing it.”He hadn’t stopped his protests, still standing out there every day with a flag and a sign, delivering his monologue. He does so because, for one, he did not trust the “ceasefire,” but also because what he stands against is not just the current wave of assaults, bombing, starvation, etc.“I want to keep going until we seriously tackle the issue, not just go through the superficial motions of Palestine’s state recognition. It isn’t about just stopping the war. It is about getting people to care so that nations collectively help them. I am not talking about months, more like years because it is going to take time.”Lately, after spending an hour on anti-genocide protest, he stands with another sign for 30 minutes or so before he goes home. The sign says “Delusion of Hate.” That is because he thinks Japan’s xenophobia and hatred come from delusions. “A mix of victim mentality and inferiority complex, plus delusions inflated by conspiracy theories that don’t even exist.”That is when I realized what he is really fighting is indifference. He went on, “Some might find my style of protests noisy, annoying, or unpleasant. I want them to reject it. I want to get on their nerves, or talk to their hearts. Maybe that is how we can break through the indifference. That is going to take time, like years of time.”"
}
,
{
"title" : "Sanctions are a Tool of Empire",
"author" : "Collis Browne",
"category" : "essays",
"url" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/readings/sanctions-are-a-tool-of-empire",
"date" : "2026-01-13 08:35:00 -0500",
"img" : "https://everythingispolitical.com/uploads/Cover_EIP_Sanctions.jpg",
"excerpt" : "Sanctions & Embargoes only Hurt the People",
"content" : "Sanctions & Embargoes only Hurt the PeopleIn light of the economic collapse and ongoing social and political unrest in Venezuela and Iran, we must examine U.S. economic sanctions and how they contribute to and exacerbate these dynamics.Although framed as something much more innocuous or even righteous, sanctions are a form of economic warfare used to enforce U.S. & Western empire.What Sanctions AreSanctions block a country’s sovereign ability to act freely in a global world. They restrict trade, banking, investment, and access to global markets.Despite the myth of “free markets,” sanctions show how capitalism really works: Markets are only free when they serve power.They are usually installed against nations that show signs of independence from US and Western (capitalist) interests, such as any meaningful socialist policies, nationalizing resources or limiting foreign ownership or resources or property.Although the claim is usually around “punishing” a government for human rights abuses, There are plenty of governments that commit egregious human rights abuses that are never sanctioned because of favorable business policies towards US interests (global western capital), The US is itself guilty of grave human rights abuses both at home and abroad, so cannot claim to have any moral authority, and Many of the abuses are either exaggerated, outright fabricated, or are simply scapegoats to cover the real motives. To be clear: this does not excuse human rights abuses by any government, but sanctions are never the answer: they are never driven by a moral imperative, and are never successful in improving the materials conditions of the people of the countries affected.How Sanctions are UsedUS foreign policy uses sanctions as a key part of a familiar playbook: Claim that a government is a “dictatorship” or “threat” to democracy or security Cut the country off from trade and money Cause shortages, inflation, and unemployment People suffer — food, medicine, fuel become scarce Blame the suffering on the government, not the sanctions Further stir up unrest by covert actions on the ground agitating dissent and violence Often, provide material support for right-wing political opposition that favors US intervention and resource privatizationThe goal is pressure, chaos, and instability.The End GoalSanctions are a foundational step in a long-term campaign to destabilize a country or region by creating enough pain to force one of the following outcomes: Install a pro-U.S. government Enable or justify a coup Pave the way for military interventionAll of these are about resource extraction and unfettered access for multinational and Western corporations.Fact 1: Sanctions Don’t WorkSanctions Don’t Achieve Their Stated Political GoalsSince 1970, nearly 90% of sanctions have failed — meaning they did not force the target government to change its behavior or leadership. Report after report show that sanctions don’t produce freedom, democracy or peace, they produce suffering.Fact 2: Sanctions Punish PeopleSanctions Hurt the People, Not LeadersAcross 32 empirical studies*, sanctions were shown to: Increase poverty Increase inequality Increase mortality Worsen human rights outcomesRegional oligarchs and elites adapt, while ordinary people pay the price.Example: IraqIraq (1990s) Sanctions destroyed water, food, and healthcare systems Hundreds of thousands of civilians — many of them children — died as a direct result Saddam Hussein retained power, up until the eventual US invasionSanctions weakened the population, not the ruler.Example: VenezuelaVenezuela (2010s–present) Oil and banking sanctions collapsed imports and currency Medicine and food shortages surged Tens of thousands of excess deaths Massive emigration as millions fled the countryThe government survived. The people suffered. If anything, the sanctions contributed to the rise of the right-wing opposition against the strong socialist base of support.Example: SyriaSyria (2011–present) Sanctions began early in the conflict and intensified economic collapse They worsened shortages, unemployment, and infrastructure failure Economic destabilization deepened social fragmentation and displacementSanctions did not overthrow the government, but they amplified collapse, suffering, and long-term instability, making recovery and reconstruction nearly impossible.Example: IranIran (since 1979, and especially 2018–present) Sanctions targeted oil exports and global banking access Iran was cut off from foreign currency earnings The rial collapsed; inflation surged sharplySanctions directly restrict access to dollars and euros — forcing rapid currency devaluation, import inflation, and rising prices for basics even when goods are technically “allowed.”Inflation hits civilians first.Sanctions are a Tool of EmpireSanctions are a tool of global capitalist imperialism, and movements against US intervention must include a call against sanctions. They do not bring freedom or democracy. They enrich global financial elites, preserve imperial control, and devastate everyday people — again and again."
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]
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