Belle de Boskoop

Living on land of the Mumirimina people. Student of history and social sciences. Opinions expressed are apples and oranges.

[James Lucas @JamesLucasIT]

Thread on the beauty of wildlife 🧵

1. When it’s cold enough to see the melody

[Tasmania JackJumpers 🐜 @JackJumpers]

First ever Championship Series win.

More to come.

[Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz]

Aaron Bushnell Burned Himself Alive To Make You Turn Your Eyes To Gaza

I watched the uncensored video of US airman Aaron Bushnell self-immolating in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington while screaming “Free Palestine”. I hesitated to watch it because I knew once I put it into my mind it’s there for the rest of my life, but I figured I owe him that much.

I feel like I’ve been picked up and shaken, which I suppose was pretty much what Bushnell was going for. Something to shake the world awake to the reality of what’s happening. Something to snap us out of the brainwashed and distracted stupor of western dystopia and turn our gaze to Gaza.

The sounds stay with you more than the sights. The sound of his gentle, youthful, Michael Cera-like voice as he walked toward the embassy. The sound of the round metal container he stored the accelerant in getting louder as it rolls toward the camera. The sound of Bushnell saying “Free Palestine”, then screaming it, then switching to wordless screams when the pain became too overwhelming, then forcing out one more “Free Palestine” before losing his words for good. The sound of the cop screaming at him to get on the ground over and over again. The sound of a first responder telling police to stop pointing guns at Bushnell’s burning body and go get fire extinguishers.

He remained standing for an unbelievable amount of time while he was burning. I don’t know where he got the strength to do it. He remained standing long after he’d stopped vocalizing.

Bushnell was taken to the hospital, where independent reporter Talia Jane reports that he has died. It was about as horrific a death as a human being can experience, and it was designed to be.

Shortly before his final act in this world, Bushnell posted the following message on Facebook:

“Many of us like to ask ourselves, ‘What would I do if I was alive during slavery? Or the Jim Crow South? Or apartheid? What would I do if my country was committing genocide?’

“The answer is, you’re doing it. Right now.”

Aaron Bushnell has provided his own answer to this challenge. We’re all providing our own right now.

I would never do what Bushnell did, and I would never recommend anyone else does either. That said, I also can’t deny that his action is having its intended effect: drawing attention to the horrors that are happening in Gaza.

I know this is true because everywhere I see Aaron Bushnell being discussed online I see a massive deluge of pro-Israel trolls frantically swarming the comments in a mad rush to manipulate the narrative. They all understand how destructive it is to US and Israeli information interests for people to be seeing an international news story about a member of the US Air Force self-immolating on camera while screaming “Free Palestine”, and they are doing everything they can to mitigate that damage.

As I write this, there are with absolute certainty people digging through Bushnell’s history searching for dirt that can be spun as evidence that he was a bad person, that he was mentally ill, that he was steered astray by pro-Palestine activists and dissident media — whatever they can make stick. If they find something, literally anything, the smearmeisters and propagandists will run with it as far as they can.

That’s what they’re choosing to do at this point in history. That’s what they would have done during slavery, or the Jim Crow south, or apartheid. That’s what they’re doing while their country commits genocide right now. People are showing what they would have done with their response to Gaza, and they’re showing what they would have done with their response to the self-immolation of Aaron Bushnell.

I’m not going to link to the video here; watching it is a personal decision on which you should probably do your own legwork to make sure it’s really what you want. Whether you watch it or not, it happened, just like the incineration of Gaza is happening right now. We each own our personal response to that reality. This is who we are.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@Kiwihawke1 @PaulusWessex @Kleisthenes2 I didn't find it easy either, but I don't think it's easier now.

As a current student with a full time job and a mortgage, I don't believe I would be able to survive off Austudy at this stage in my life and flexibility is a necessity - it even impacts what units I choose.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@PaulusWessex @Kleisthenes2 @Kiwihawke1 And yes, online learning is an adaptation to COVID conditions, but also... technology.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@PaulusWessex @Kleisthenes2 @Kiwihawke1 You are both living in dream land if you think rental and housing costs have not escalated since you were at uni. As well as costs to study. Not to mention affordable locations.

Evidence is in the lecture theatres where only one or two students are turning up for lectures.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@Kleisthenes2 @Kiwihawke1 This misrepresents student agency. All universities are struggling to engage students with on campus learning.

This has much to do with the increased pressure on students, including the need for flexibility due to work commitments and cost of living on a student wage.

[Alex Johnston @swegen31]

Elise Archer’s statement includes these well wishes…

“I wish my successor Guy Barnett the best implementing my significant law reform agenda but note he is to shortly appear before the Privileges and Conduct Committee and could be short-lived in that role.” #politas

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@emma_husar

[Cory Levy @cory]

"The thing you do obsessively between age 13 and 18, that's the thing you have the most chance of being world-class at."

- Bill Gates

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@JaneCaro And not a woman amongst them. Why wasn't a woman commissioned to do any of this work?

[Jenny Miller @JennyMi11374978]

Thanks go to all at Swartz Media for their support from the very beginning of this horrendous journey. My beautiful son should still be here 💔💔💔 https://t.co/t6UICt10qM

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@OSaumarezSmith Perfect timing given my current research of Tadao Ando designs to visit on my next trip to Japan

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@evansmithhist @JonPiccini This post in my feed rn, followed not far behind by this one.

https://t.co/0qBkchT9l0

I think our history is in safe hands - if only our educators are also paying attention.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

Standing ovation for At What Cost @TheatreRoyalHob tonight. Congratulations to Nathan Maynard and a fabulous cast.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@lavosaurus https://t.co/eGRw6tiSLb

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@IsabellaRosner It looks a little like a Hawthorne strainer.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@historicalfits Same feels

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@fintanomahony @MarcFennell There are not a lot of colonies the British have not stolen from. There is also one on China.

[Belle de Boskoop @dutchapples]

@ChrisFitzMelb @MsTrudes @SimonDavisTas I and most residents of Hobart disagree that plonking a fuck off massive stadium on primo waterfront real estate that belongs to the people is a good idea. You can argue in favour of bad public policy all you like, the fact is the people don't want it there.