Agree with this outside of those opposing genocide being labeled as antisemites.
I mean people have been criticizing Israel for decades without being called antisemites. At least not credibly. I know because I’ve been calling Gaza and apartheid state since the 90s. The difference here is the way people have formed a rhetorical alliance with actual neo Nazis instead of articulating those specific criticisms. People slinging around “Zionist” are just as obnoxious as people slinging around “antisemite.” The left really needs to do better on this. Use your words, not problematic bumper sticker politics.
Is Zionist not a neutral term?
The entire reason the word is problematic is because it is so overloaded. Even setting aside the white supremacist baggage for a moment, purely descriptive definitions depend on time, place and context to determine whether you mean that the Jewish people should have representation in Palestine, the creation of their own independent state, the continuation of their own state, or a justification for colonialist expansion in the Levant. The term is historically favored by white supremacists specifically because it is a dog whistle which has plausible deniability to mean anything from a historical retrospective to actual antisemitism.
For decades, thoughtful critics of Israel have intentionally avoided invoking the term to separate their analysis from hate groups. And this is not a difficult thing to do. It is quite easy to articulate specific problems with Israel’s statecraft. There are many things to choose from, so when people choose the dog whistle instead, there’s a good reason to see it as suspect. Israel also understands this. They prefer you choose the bumper sticker instead of sober analysis, because it is easier to discredit.
The issue is, if you care at all about how the Palestinian people are treated, you’re labeled an antisemite. That word is being used to shut down ANY discourse.
While real antisemitism is also on the rise
It sounds like victim blaming, but a lot of the rise of antisemitism is being fueled by the actions of the Israeli state itself. Over the course of the last few years the state has burned through 80 years of good will and hard work put in by groups devoted to fighting real antisemitism.
A lot of the behaviour like flexing control over the media, and political systems that antisemitic groups have been falsely accusing them of have been made true through the acts of the Israeli far right government. Furthering the idea that these antisemitic groups have been correct the whole time. The worse thing is that the state is intentionally conflating the idea that the actions of Israel represent the intent of all Jewish people, labeling any criticism against the state antisemitic behavior. This only serves to validate the behaviour of real antisemitic actors, giving them cover to disguise their racism under a veil of righteous criticism.
Israel spent significant resources propagandizing that they speak for every jewish people on earth. As a part ashkenazi, I was called blood traitor many times for suggesting that maybe genocide shouldn’t be happening actually. And I can’t even betray any blood, I wasn’t even rised jewish and I don’t look the part.
Yep, after Palestinians this propaganda campaign is most dangerous for ethnic Jews. It always amazes me that people who survived the consequences of people attempting to create an ethnostate are so quick to want to create one themselves.
I can label someone a sociopath for wearing red shoes, doesn’t make them one.
Agreed. But that doesn’t change the fact that it shuts down discourse.
Anti-semitism is a bankrupt term. Its being weaponized by nazi-Israel against anyone who criticize Israel. We should rather use a plain term like judeophobia so that we are clear in our speech.
Whatever your views on him as an actor or his political affiliation, you should watch the original speech in its entirety, rather than keep this soundbite in and of itself and hijack its meaning. It’s also worth noting this was recorded in early 2023, so a lot of things have changed since then.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsETTn7DehI
I think it’s a powerful message and well delivered. Something the hardline MAGA crowd definitely needed to heed. And all around the world, as more of these populist movements rise or have risen.
as an actor
Schwarzenegger may have had a very specific niche he fit within as an actor, but when he worked within that niche he was excellent. If you look at Conan the Barbarian, it should not have worked as a movie, and yet it absolutely does, and no small part of that is his acting. Dude can smolder stoically. Terminator, T2, Running Man, Total Recall, Predator, they’re all excellent uses of his very specific type.
Then jump ahead to True Lies and Last Action Hero, where he’s arguably at his height of fame, and he makes basically a couple of parodies of his acting persona, during a time when action heroes were largely taken much more seriously than they are today, and he nails both of those roles, too.
Sure, he’s got a bad habit of trying to make movies he maybe shouldn’t have, and yeah, he’s always a huge muscly Austrian with a thick accent, but I think he might be the best Western action star who’s ever lived.
As a person or a politician… ehh… could be a lot worse.
Certain Republicans such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, tend to be considered moderate Republicans and more centrist than the national party.
One thing I will say he doesn’t get enough flack for is being a part of the body dysmoprhia machine. Soo many young men are taking steroids now and have body image issues. What used to be great physiques are now seen as scrawny partly due to these guys blasting gear and making it seem glamorous.
On the positive side, decades of underground gym bro steroid compounding resulted in the infrastructure and community practices that the trans homebrew community now uses to get HRT to trans people shut out by the medical system. The majority of trans people have used or use DIY HRT at some point in their lives, and that infrastructure comes right out of the gym bro steroid culture.
Sadly he joined the GOP.
While I may like the sentiment, his actions are contrary to it.
Certain Republicans such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, tend to be considered moderate Republicans and more centrist than the national party.
Decidedly have no love for the GOP, but he was a politician in a time where the GOP was immensely different from what it is today, and the focus of the party was not overt bigotry and absolutism. Iirc, he was also talked about as a bit of a black sheep during the Bush Jr.-era GOP politics, but I might be misremembering things based on my own impressions from that time.
The GOP in 2016. “We can’t have Hillary as President. The world will laugh at us!”
The GOP in 2016. “Who cares what anyone thinks of us?? USA! USA!! USA!!!”
The GOP back then when Arnie joined was more socially progressive and actually fiscally conservative. This was the party that allowed more migrants in the 1980s, and courted Muslim voters in 2000 presidential election by tapping into the mostly immigrant Muslim’s entrepreneurial spirit-- and it worked. I won’t vote for any conservatives because I inherently disagree with them on economics and I am not religious, but 2000’s GOP is the kind of conservative that I identify as conservative.
Certain Republicans such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, tend to be considered moderate Republicans and more centrist than the national party.
“socially progressive and fiscally conservative” is and always has been a copout phrase used by people that will never, ever, support wide spread systemic change to better people’s lives, but dont want to be yelled at for it. Its the “thoughts and prayers” group.
Certain Republicans such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, tend to be considered moderate Republicans and more centrist than the national party.
And the gop for a time was a lot more moderate, and was more “moderate” before 2016 and 2001
