Sunday Thoughts October 22, 2023

One of the defining features of the last ten or so years is the small awakenings that happen from time to time, usually triggered by an event. The big example is the Trump phenomenon where all the so-called conservatives dropped the mask. All of a sudden, millions of people were suddenly made aware of the fact that conservatism was a scam. Those chattering skulls who you thought were on your side were suddenly snarling and bearing their fangs at you.

We are seeing something like this with Israel. Twenty years ago, the Israel lobby would have been much more restrained in their calls for blood. They would have avoided sounding like they were out for vengeance. Washington would have been careful to play the role of peacemaker, even as it took the side of Israel. Now, the Israel lobby is calling for the slaughter of women and children, while Washington threatens anyone who speaks out against it.

This is having a corresponding result domestically. The polling on the general topic of Israel versus Gaza is interesting. Republican zombies respond as trained, but there are far fewer zombies now. People have dug into the age distribution, and you see the pro-Israel camp is old white people. Even amongst that cohort, support for Israel is far lower than in the past. In Europe, there is no support for Israel. They also are seeing massive protests by their imported Arab population in support of Gaza.

We are seeing one of those moments when the regime runs the old playbook, but the plays are not working, and the people see that they are not working. In the process of trying to gaslight the public like usual, the public is noticing the gaslighting. It is like when the audience catches the magician’s sleight of hand during the trick. The audience knows it is a trick, but part of the fun is in the magician’s ability to conceal the trick. That is the real magic of the act.

In a time of crises, these revelatory moments are what erode the people’s trust in their rulers and the system that enables their rule. It is a vicious cycle. The more the people catch onto the tricks, the harder they try to trick the people. The skepticism over this Israel business has led to hyper-gaslighting, which has increased skepticism. If they are struggling to whip support for Israel, imagine what happens when they call for sacrifice in a down economy.

Topics

* Muh Freedumb (Link)

* Not My People (Link)

* They Hate You (Link) (Link) (Link)

* The Brown Shrew (Link) (Link) (Link)

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