Matthew Gault > Recent Status Updates

Dersh hasn't heard anyone who is simply critical of Israel called antisemetic... right. Honestly, so many of these "accusation" versus "facts" come down to Dershowitz see what he wants or not seeing what he wants.

"Israel is the only country that has not indiscriminately dropped bombs on civilian cities" - that one aged really badly, though Dersh can't be expected to see the future.

"Only Israeli is criticised for its use of torture", after listing other Western powers that had been consistently criticised as much as Israel for their use of torture even by 2003. He even mentions the UK security forces in Northern Ireland, I'm beginning to suspect his "Israeli is singled out because it is a Jewish state" thesis only works because he doesn't examine resistance movements elsewhere.

At no point did he question the claim that Palestinian suicide bombers are turning themselves into biological weapons with Hep-B, HIV, and other infectuous diseases intentionally, rather than Palestine having a higher rate of infections. Like, maybe they did, but he never shows an interest in critically investigating this claim is telling.

A lot going on in this book, something to sit down and dig through with other (better written, referenced, and from actual historians) sources, but you know, I think by 2003 we can safely say using Brezhnev as one of the "accusers" against Israel is a bit of a dead end point and I'm sure a different person could have been used as a second accuser for the 6 Day War point.

I don't get the horror at commemorating a battle by the Shias with religious rituals. Like, the political aspects etc sure but he mentions that much later as an addition to that, but everyone commemorates distant battles. Also, he's super aggressive when questioning Muslims, but never challenges anything a white person tells him.

This man is painfully English. The chapter on Belfast gives me concern for the quality of other bits. Claiming the Kashmir Road is probably named in solidarity for the struggle when most streets in Belfast have names routed in colonialism shows a lack of curiosity in favour of ideology. Also saying he felt he was returning to modernity in the airport, so very English.

So far, Husain seems obsessed with what people are wearing, has selected very particular mosques in specific areas, and has not once admitted to declaring the fact he is writing a book to anyone he's spoken to. This raises a few ethical questions than will not be answered. "Interviews" two random white men on the street and seems much more passive with them so he can "speak the unspoken, and hear the unheard"...

So far, a very nationalistic account of Ukrainian history which almost presents the idea that Ukraine (and by extension all nations) has always existed. Applebaum has clear, strong conservative leanings which, at times, make it hard to disentangle ideological bias from grounded critique. I think she's also too quick to excuse the antisemetism of the Ukrainian movements when she, rightly, criticises the others.

Starting Chapter 4, every character is fantastically, relatably mad (showing maybe late 20s/early 30s was not so different in the 1950s). No hauntings so far, but some wonderful build up and world-building.