Assumingthefetalposition

Pronouns: She/Her. Just another keyboard warrior with an opinion. Art credit on profile pic: Kate Kretz

[Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz]

My first encounter with Israelis was when I was backpacking through South America in my twenties, and I remember being shocked by how consistently awful they all were. I guess after their mandatory military service they tend to go traveling for a bit, and whenever I'd run into them they were reliably some of the nastiest people I'd ever encountered.

They weren't ever nasty to me, though. I am a white westerner, and I never had a problem with them. They were nasty to the impoverished brown-skinned people who were hosting us. They were obnoxious and bullying toward local guides, they'd leave the place in a mess, and they were always trying to screw over the locals for a better deal or extra meals or favors. One time they tricked a hostel into putting up a sign in Hebrew for other Israeli backpackers which said ugly things about our hosts (they told the hostel owner it was a great review), which I only know because they were laughing hysterically about it and told me. They consistently treated the people who were looking after us like they were much lesser than us. Their pushiness and entitlement were just unbelievable.

It was a very educational experience for me. I knew the Palestinians were being treated unfairly because my father had told me so, but I also had a great love of Jews and Jewish culture. I had visited Auschwitz and Dachau and Anne Frank's house in my travels, and I remember having some romantic ideas about kibbutzim. This was my first time directly encountering the reality that there is something unhealthy about Israeli society. Not Jews or Jewish culture, but Jewish Israelis.

Now I see evidence of this on my news feed every day, in the IDF soldiers prancing around in the undergarments of dead and displaced Palestinian women, in the AI translations of Hebrew tweets, in the polls which show widespread Israeli approval for the atrocities in Gaza, in Israeli TikTok videos mocking the suffering of the Palestinians, in the Israelis showing up in my comments justifying the worst things in the world in the most depraved ways imaginable.

My encounters with Israelis in South America were an early taste of ugly things to come. Everything I glimpsed then I've been seeing online over the past year. I keep thinking about those obnoxious pricks I met all those years ago, and about how they didn't know at the time that they were giving me very useful information for me to make use of in the future.

When Israel supporters tell you to shut up about Gaza until you've been to Israel and met Israelis, just ignore them. Don't go to Israel; you're a westerner, they'll be nice to you. Go to one of the tourist spots in the global south that Israelis like to visit, one with lots of brown-skinned people who've been colonized by the west, and watch how they treat people there. That will show you what Israelis are really like.

[Assumingthefetalposition @NairnMacKay]

Though the rest of their platform is reprehensible, Buffalo Party has committed to bringing back the STC. No mention of the STC by the NDP so far in this campaign. @CarlaBeck @WotherspoonT #skpoli

[MFWitches @MFWitches]

If you’re watching or listening to the #VPDebate right now, don’t forget that no matter what he says in public, this one graphic is everything JD Vance really stands for and should be widely shared to every American voter you know …

[Assumingthefetalposition @NairnMacKay]

@RpsAgainstTrump

[Assumingthefetalposition @NairnMacKay]

@globeandmail subscription service completely sucks ass.

[oliver @itspapalou]

People don’t fully understand how activism was intentionally absorbed by the state after the 1960s. Revolutionary ideas were put down or refashioned into volunteerism, charity and NGOs.

[Thought Provoking Berserker ⚛️🦍🦅 @Provokethoughtz]

Good morning 🌅🌄

[Qing Meow 🌙 @Moonbae222]

You know what’s funny about white people? They totally understand how romans/greeks influenced modern culture & society, despite the 2000 year gap - yet refuse to understand how slavery & colonialism continue to have influence today, after ‘ending’ only 200 years ago.

[Elizabeth Ammon @legsidelizzy]

Honestly. If you ever need someone to do clandestine surveillance work, send a middle aged woman cos we are, it seems, TOTALLY INVISIBLE

[CALL TO ACTIVISM @CalltoActivism]

Holy moly! Republicans HATE this abortion ad, one of the most powerful ads ever made.

RT and use the hashtag #StopTrumpsAbortionBan to send it far and wide!

[Governor Phil Murphy @GovMurphy]

Our region just experienced an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.7, with an epicenter near Readington in Hunterdon County.

We have activated our State Emergency Operations Center. Please do not call 911 unless you have an actual emergency. https://t.co/Szt5fWyIs9

[Meara Conway @mearaconwayNDP]

Growing up doing extracurs I was taught teachers were donating free time. I was taught gratitude.

If you feel entitled to teachers’ free time, my Q is *why*.

After the cuts, disrespect, lies from gov’t, are we surprised?

If Sask Party values teachers, they need to act like it.

[Regina Fire @Regina_Fire]

Crews responded at 8:20pm to a house fire on the 1400 Blk. of Cameron St. Fire is under control with all searches complete. No injuries reported, cause is under investigation. #yqr

[MyIsland @75opinionated]

Last night hubby and I shared a bottle of wine and went over our expenses. It’s not our taxes that are stretching our budget. It’s not our heat. It’s not our insurance. It’s communications and groceries. The two things owned by biggest monopolies in Canada.

[Boogie Rambler @Boogie_Rambler]

@sob_er2dayz Five other provinces have already put class size and complexity in the CBA, and the Supreme Court of Canada already ruled class size and complexity constitute working conditions, meaning it can be in CBA. There's no rational argument against putting it in the contract.

[Assumingthefetalposition @NairnMacKay]

@ElieNYC https://t.co/s7E0iMG7I0

[Elie Mystal @ElieNYC]

Alabama: Embryos are babies.
Me: Oh, so we can't deport mothers carrying American citizens.
Alabama: Wait.
Me: Also dudes are on the hook for child support nine months earlier.
Alabama: No. Not like that!

[Elie Mystal @ElieNYC]

I am once again asking Calgon to take me the fuck away.

[Assumingthefetalposition @NairnMacKay]

@LHubich Isn't that that something like what fleeing dictators do?