Imperialism
Russia
Ukraine
Fig. 1. “Destroyed Russian military vehicles located on the main street Khreshchatyk are seen as part of the celebration of the Independence Day of Ukraine in Kyiv, August 24.” Photograph by Gleb Garanich for Reuters, August 24, 2022,[1] fair use.
Barbara Moens et al., “EU threatens to silence Hungary if it blocks Ukrainian funds,” Politico, January 26, 2024, https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-threatens-silence-hungary-orban-if-blocks-ukrainian-aid-funds-article-7/
Israel
Palestine
Fig. 1. The ruins of a terminal at the Gaza airport. Image by Said Khatib (Agence France-Presse) on September 9, 2018, via the Times of Israel,[2] fair use.
The [International Court of Justice] rulings, all passed by either 16-1 or 15-2 – even the appointed Israeli judge, Aharon Barak, sided twice with the majority – are devastating for Israel, though a final judgment is still a long way off. Meanwhile, those governments which argued that South Africa’s case was empty and illegitimate now need to dig themselves out of the hole of their own creation.[3]
Henry Foy, “EU seeks ‘consequences’ for Israel over opposition to Palestinian statehood,” Financial Times, January 21, 2024, https://www.ft.com/content/6b39f7cf-f6d6-4344-b1e8-a505616423ef
Owen Jones, “The west’s complete contempt for the lives of Palestinians will not be forgotten,” Guardian, January 21, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/21/palestinian-lives-gaza-politics-media
Summer Said, “U.S., Arab Allies Push Hostage-Release Plan Aimed at Ending Israel-Hamas War,” Wall Street Journal, January 21, 2024, https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-pushes-hostage-release-plan-aimed-at-ending-gaza-war-d48b27e1
Ishaan Tharoor, “What Netanyahu sees from the river to the sea,” Washington Post, January 22, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/22/netanyahu-biden-two-state-solution-palestine-river-to-sea/
Times of Israel, “Most believe Netanyahu’s wartime decision-making mainly motivated by personal interest,” January 22, 2024, https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-gives-national-unity-commanding-lead-over-likud-with-a-center-bloc-of-69-mks/
Shira Rubin, Steve Hendrix, and Lior Soroka, “As some Israeli troops leave Gaza, a long-term strategy remains elusive,” Washington Post, January 23, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/23/israel-military-gaza-strategy-hamas/
Matthew Bell, “Israel says ‘no’ to a 2-state solution,” World, January 24, 2024, https://theworld.org/stories/2024-01-24/israel-says-no-2-state-solution
Loveday Morris, Sarah Cahlan, and Jonathan Baran, “What to know about Israel’s controversial ‘buffer zone’ in Gaza,” Washington Post, January 24, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/24/israel-buffer-zone-gaza-war/
John Hudson and Claire Parker, “Biden to deploy CIA director to help broker major Gaza deal,” Washington Post, January 25, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/01/25/william-burns-cia-gaza-israel-hostages/
Neri Zilber and Andrew England, “Qatar rebukes ‘irresponsible’ Netanyahu over apparent criticism of Gulf state,” Financial Times, January 25, 2024, https://www.ft.com/content/410de5d0-08b1-4be8-9260-4ddb87751ecc
Steve Crawshaw, “This momentous ICJ ruling may be brushed aside by Israel – but the US and UK can’t afford to ignore it,” Guardian, January 26, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/26/israel-gaza-icj-genocide-ruling-the-hague
Just Security, “Top Experts’ Views of Int’l Court of Justice Ruling on Israel Gaza Operations (South Africa v Israel, Genocide Convention Case),” January 26, 2024, https://www.justsecurity.org/91457/top-experts-views-of-intl-court-of-justice-ruling-on-israel-gaza-operations-south-africa-v-israel-genocide-convention-case/
Ron Kampeas, “International Court of Justice rules that some allegations of Israel committing genocide are ‘plausible,’” Jewish Telegraphic Agency, January 26, 2024, https://www.jta.org/2024/01/26/politics/international-court-of-justice-rules-that-some-allegations-of-israel-committing-genocide-are-plausible
Emily Rauhala and Steve Hendrix, “U.N. court orders Israel to halt killings in Gaza, but no cease-fire,” Washington Post, January 26, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/01/26/israel-icj-ruling-decision-south-africa-gaza/
Illiberalism
Hungary
Barbara Moens et al., “EU threatens to silence Hungary if it blocks Ukrainian funds,” Politico, January 26, 2024, https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-threatens-silence-hungary-orban-if-blocks-ukrainian-aid-funds-article-7/
Pennsylvania
Traffic non-enforcement
Fig. 1. Obviously, nowhere near Pittsburgh: “A Pennsylvania state trooper checks motorists’ speed using a radar gun.” Unattributed photograph credited only to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.[4]
My big problem with school bus stops is that they are not marked. The bus may stop in front of any home to disgorge an unknowable number of children. The bus flashes orange lights prior to turn on the flashing red, but this still does not tell me where the bus will stop.
And once, I got popped because the bus had briefly turned on its orange lights, stopped sooner than I expected, and turned on its red. I was already stopping, but it wasn’t quickly enough, because on that very short notice, I had no way to judge how quickly I needed to stop. That was a nice little $300 for something I had inadequate notice of. And of course, in a system where I am guilty until proven innocent, there’s absolutely no possibility of appeal.
As usual, and as we see here,[5] nobody is ever at fault except the drivers. Pedestrians are never at fault. Schoolchildren are no longer required to learn how to cross the fucking street. Drivers are the scapegoats. Always. Every time.
Megan Tomasic, “‘Unacceptable’: Pittsburgh Public sees over 9,000 school bus violations in six months,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 26, 2024, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2024/01/25/pittsburgh-schools-bus-violations/stories/202401250116
Higher Education
Fig. 1. The Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh (“Pitt”). Photograph by “RealNordyNed,” December 17, 2015, via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Robert Moran and Gillian McGoldrick, “Gov. Josh Shapiro proposes sweeping reform of Pa. state-funded higher education,” Philadelphia Inquirer, January 25, 2024, https://www.inquirer.com/education/pennsylvania-college-reform-state-funding-shapiro-20240126.html
- [1]Reuters, “Ukraine puts destroyed Russian tanks on display in Kyiv,” August 25, 2022, https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/ukraine-puts-destroyed-russian-tanks-on-idUSRTSALV9Q↩
- [2]Agence France-Presse and Times of Israel, “20 years after its opening, destroyed Gaza airport embodies grounded peace hopes,” Times of Israel, September 12, 2018, https://www.timesofisrael.com/20-years-after-its-opening-destroyed-gaza-airport-embodies-grounded-peace-hopes/↩
- [3]Steve Crawshaw, “This momentous ICJ ruling may be brushed aside by Israel – but the US and UK can’t afford to ignore it,” Guardian, January 26, 2024, https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/26/israel-gaza-icj-genocide-ruling-the-hague↩
- [4]Associated Press, “Senate OKs local police using radar for speed enforcement,” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, June 23, 2021, https://triblive.com/news/pennsylvania/senate-oks-local-police-using-radar-for-speed-enforcement/↩
- [5]Megan Tomasic, “‘Unacceptable’: Pittsburgh Public sees over 9,000 school bus violations in six months,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 26, 2024, https://www.post-gazette.com/news/education/2024/01/25/pittsburgh-schools-bus-violations/stories/202401250116↩