Chris Hedges is absolutely right, and this speech is a tour de force. He discusses the return of overt psychopathy in leadership, where rules exist only for the weak, and the strong take whatever they want in whatever way they want. He calls what’s begun in Gaza and Iran as “a vast worldwide Malthusian correction geared for preparing the world for the winners of globalisation minus the inconvenient noise of the losers”. Ethnocentricism and eugenics are on the rise, with a view to clearing away “human contaminants” through the use of indiscriminant lethal force if necessary. Israel is the prime example of this mentality at the moment, but the US is set to follow suit under the present regime which is increasingly white supremacist. Under such a system, all complexity and nuance are lost, values such as compassion and empathy are pathologised and despised, and brutality is prized.
When Israel says “never again”, they’ve made it clear that never again refers only to Jewish people, and although they don’t say so, neither liberal-minded Jews nor the ultra-orthodox would likely qualify, as neither generally support the fascist apartheid state.
Hedges mentions Rabbi Meir Kahane, whose malign influence has seen a rapid resurgence in Israel. He regarded violence as a Jewish virtue, and considered that ‘subhumans’ were the embodiment of evil and must be eliminated as a condition for the arrival of the Messiah. This train of thought had been suppressed for some time, but is now back in full force. For more on the views of the man, this excellent essay (below) by Sarah Kendzior paints the full picture.
Journalist Katie Halper, who is Jewish herself, also calls out the growing fascism in Israel.
