empty adventurism
on the endless aggression
reflections 🪞
Yankees, Go Home! by Maia Golzar Anderson
The American war machine never sleeps. It is the engine of empire, the shadow of a dying tree.
On 28th February, Israel and the US launched air attacks in Iran, a country with 93 million inhabitants. The justifications for this aggression have shape-shifted: to eliminate a supposed nuclear threat, to stop an imminent attack, as retaliation for decades of Iranian ‘misbehaviour’, to achieve regime change, and, a recurring special, to bring ‘freedom’ to the Iranian people.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was assassinated, as were other officials. At least 1,332 people have been reported killed by US-Israeli attacks on the country, a number that is sure to grow. The ancient city of Tehran is being pummelled. The events have begun a spiral of counter-attacks and strikes elsewhere in the region. Missiles, drones, bombs, missiles, drones, bombs.
This despicable act by the ‘bored of peace’ President Trump follows a long lineage of US foreign interventions. It is the gasp of an empire in decline, and a demonstration of why anti-imperialism is as existential as ever.
expansion pack
As the turbulent 2020s progress, we experience generous helpings of historical déjà vu: an American intervention in the Middle East, with a dangerous moron at the helm, with a ‘what could go wrong’ approach to regime change and regional instability.
The footage from the ground in Tehran is apocaltypic and deplorable. It is already a humanitarian and ecological disaster: the US and Israel are now targeting oil depots, causing a black rain effect, releasing toxic gases into the atmosphere. And what is it all for?
There has been a focus in the media on the wants of the sizeable diaspora Iranian community in countries like the US and UK. The Iranian state’s treatment of its own citizens has left many glad the Ayayollah is gone. Indeed, there were street parties in some communities celebrating his death.
But far from a monolith, the Iranian diaspora, especially those in leftist circles, have more mixed feelings toward what is going on in their country.
Maia Golzar Anderson’s recent article for shado details a rejection of how the discussion about Iran’s future is framed.
No one person can speak for the nation. It’s true that some of the diaspora welcome American intervention, and support reinstating the exiled son of the shah Reza Pahlavi. But it’s also undeniable that others don’t want the US and Israel forcing something internal for them and deciding their affairs through violence.
I think Maia’s piece reflects this concretely. Her key point is that “dissatisfaction with the Iranian government cannot be conflated with a desire for American, Zionist or Western intervention”.
check the projection
As Maia expands, “Western depictions of Iran seek to flatten Iranian humanity and depth, and instead project American fears and desires onto the region.”
The way Trump and other American officials talk about Iran, they only feign an interest in the well-being of its populace as a cover for their imperial ambitions: access to oil reserves, a greater presence in the area and bolstering Israel’s regional hegemony. They want the Iranian people to be a monolith: people who universally despise the Ayataollah and crave outside forces to free them.
This is projection. It has been done by empires for centuries. The British Empire called people in Africa and Asia that it dominated “savage” and used this as justification for developing new, savage weapons to use against them – depicting such violence as the only language they understood. The mask of hate can only be worn by the other, not the actual perpatrator of war crimes.
In the case of Iran, the craving for regime change and American involvement must come from the population to fulfill the US mythology of being the ‘good guys’.
justice of self
One can acknowledge the pain of the people of Iran under the existing system, without wishing for the ‘liberation’ of American bombs and Israeli missiles.
As one Iranian-American put it to Maia: “The people in Iran deserve so much better than how their own government treats them and how Western media portrays what they are going through.”
Self-determination is essential for the lifeblood of a nation – only the people of that country can decide and enact changes in their system. To borrow the title from a useful article, the future of Iran lives in Iran. This aggression will never change that.
~ Tommy
smirk of the week 😏
offbeat optics
Tarot TikToker must pay $10M to professor she accused in Moscow, Idaho murders
Ok, this is wild. Did you know there’s a Moscow in Idaho??? Like, what. Though I guess I shouldn’t be surprised this exists in the country that brought you St. Petersburg, Florida. 🤨
But also, this case is wacky. A woman from Texas, Ashley Guillard, believes she has psychic abilities, and used tarot cards to try and solve the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. She created multiple videos on TikTok which baselessly blamed university professor Rebecca Scofield, and included intimate details about her personal and professional life.
These false public accusations ruined Scofield’s reputation and, understandably, deteriorated her physical and mental health.
The jury in the trial deliberated for almost two hours to decide to award Scofield even more money than her attorneys asked for in their closing argument. A smattering of justice was served here for damaging TikTok content. Could it set a precedent?
I guess the most surprising thing about this story to me is that sometimes false statements made online do have consequences. Now can we target some even bigger liars?
one thing to watch:
Soya Jones – a love letter to the people of Iran
A beautiful and touching tribute to Iran’s people from solo traveller Soya Jones, who bike-packed through the country last year. It brings a tear to my eye to watch this and be reminded that all the beauty we have created in this world can be endangered by the recklessness, stupidity and greed of a few.
What I love about this short commentary is the intimate footage, as well as the little things he noticed as an outsider in Iran, such as the spellings and fonts on roadsigns. And of course, the smiles, generosity and optimism of the people.
When we seek to destroy, we dehumanise. I thought this brief window into the country does a great job of bringing humans to the forefront: people who will suffer from the actions of war taken against them. They just want to live.
It also serves as a reminder how privileged we in the Global North are, to be able to travel to different countries when so many aren’t afforded that luxury. It’s important to use that wisely, and if possible document these experiences to dispel myths about certain countries in our own communities.
one thing to groove to:
DAMAG3 - TH3 iMAG3 OF GOD (feat. Lex Bratcher, Figgy Baby & Jamal Malachi)
This tune goes so hard – four LGBTQ+ artists rapping liberation politics over a gritty Mobb Deep-style beat. One person in the YouTube comments called it ‘Trans Marxist music’. Every person kills their verse, and the video underscores the power of the message. Play LOUD.
“Eat the rich, eat the greed, deny, defund, delete / All these fuckers ‘til Gaza, Sudan and Congolese are free / Fuck ICE”
one thing to listen to:
Explaining History – Martha Gellhorn, Racism, and the Atrocities of Vietnam
In keeping with the radical history of International Women’s Day, this weekend I listened to an episode of the Explaining History podcast which dives into the work of formidable war reporter Martha Gellhorn. She was a central figure in exposing the lies of the American state when it came to the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 70s.
Gellhorn achieved this by visiting hospitals and refugee camps on the ground, seeing first-hand how US weapons had affected civilian populations. The episode also looks into how dehumanisation and racism against the Vietnamese was core to how US troops conducted themselves so brutally in South-East Asia.
I found it particularly apt given what is going on now, and an emphasis on the importance of on-the-ground journalists to document atrocities in war.
one thing to read:
What Are We Literally Doing? with Eleanor M – Why Elites Become Weird and Creepy About Sex In Declining Empires
“Extended periods of economic success within empires tends to breed selfishness and hedonism within upper classes.” Sound familiar?
With the exposures of the Epstein files, the parallels of the US empire to the dying days of Rome and other historic powers are substantial. This illuminating article shows that late-stage empires tend to become extra depraved due to several factors.
The excess of influence and wealth creates a need to indulge more and more hedonistically. Elites begin fill the spiritual vacuum in their hearts by pushing boundaries when it comes to sex, drugs and anything else, especially exploring sexual dynamics focused on power indifference.
It is disturbing, but the corresponding lessons from other empires may indicate the dominant American world will soon come to a whimpering end.
one thing to do:
Consider donating to London Queer Mart (LQM)
London Queer Mart was a really cool concept – a place to foster and celebrate the queer community of makers and creatives.
Unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of the organisers’ control, it will be taking a hiatus for the foreseeable future. Boe, the director and producer of LQM who has also contributed to shado, has fronted a lot of the costs for registering the market as a company to try to gain other sources of funding. But now they could really use the help and solidarity of the wider community.
Please read their story and consider donating, if you are able to, to help protect dreams of a better future.