A serious red line has been crossed: America’s democratic freedoms, expansive on paper, will simply not tolerate serious dissent on the U.S.–Israel relationship. As criticisms of Israel have become more mainstream, the attempt to shut them down entirely has become more extreme.

In pursuit of this blank-check relationship with an Israeli government that is becoming ever-more intransigent with each passing year, pro-Israel forces in the U.S. are attacking our own democratic freedoms in order to suppress public outcry about apartheid and potential genocide 6,000 miles away. And, if the recent campus crackdowns are any indication, these forces are winning their battle.

With tens of thousands of Palestinians left dead and the Israeli assault on Gaza ongoing, the U.S. protests targeting university ties with Israel over the last month — voluble and outspoken — have been overwhelmingly nonviolent.

Yet these nonviolent protests have met with the full brutal force of the U.S. security state. Dispersing the protest encampments, police have viciously beaten protesters, fired rubber bullets, and enveloped students in dense clouds of tear gas.

  • @masquenox
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    27 months ago

    “But dissent must never lead to disorder.”

    Let me translate that for those who don’t understand liberal pretend-democracy schtick.

    “We will tolerate dissent as long as it doesn’t threaten the status quo with actual change - if it does, we sicc our pet fascists on you.”

    • @disguy_ovahea
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      -27 months ago

      So you define “actual change” as attacks or violence. That’s fine, but not constitutionally protected. Peaceful protests work. There’s no reason to take them into criminal behavior.

      • @masquenox
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        17 months ago

        So you define “actual change” as attacks or violence.

        “Law & Order” isn’t just the name of a popular pigprop show on television, liberal - it is also the rallying cry of fascism. In fact, it’s the fascist’s most tried and tested narrative to get gullible liberals onboard the fascism train.

        I might be wrong about the last part, though… you never see liberals around when antifa is fighting neo-nazis and klan-boys in the streets. Maybe you’re not gullible at all.

        Peaceful protests work.

        Your proof of this?