But What Happens When the Boogeyman Erases You?
But What Happens When the Boogeyman Erases You?
But (insert bad guy here who will justify your erasure)
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Israel’s military and government actions have resulted in tens of thousands killed, millions rendered homeless, and thousands more who will die of disease and starvation—and all of these acts have been aggregated under the stated goal of “eradicating Hamas.” And the US and a large percentage of the world’s powers and ruling classes support, or at least tolerate, these actions under this stated premise—even if support among their citizen’s is declining.
But the result of this supposed goal, the death, displacement, and destruction, with no end, no limits in sight, should terrify us all.
Because under this operation, the reality is that we in the US, the West, and all allies, believe entire classes, groups of people are dispensable if the right villain comes along.
I have never seen the US bomb the South to eradicate the KKK. I have seen them bomb Philadelphia. I have never seen the US bomb a European nation, or a European country bomb itself, to get rid of an ISIS or Al-Qaeda cell. But I’ve seen the West bomb half the Middle East. I didn’t see Israel or the US bomb the antisemitic white supremacists during the Charlottesville riots. I saw Israel attack four countries not 6 months ago and ‘accidentally’ kill dozens of US citizens with impunity recently and over the past few decades.
All of these actions resulted in mass deaths of “unintended targets,” “collateral damage” — but in all honesty — disposable ones. As Palestinians, journalists, and aid workers have become.
But if the US will allow Philly PD to bomb its own, pardon white supremacists for killing protestors, and allow for Israel to kill US aid workers and members of service, we really have to come to terms with the fact that—the “dispensable ones” are not that far away, not a part of foreign policy; they are anyone at any time, given the right conditions.
Maybe you support Israel’s actions overtly. Maybe you tolerate them for the goal of something in the “US” interest. Maybe you just are indifferent because you don’t think it affects you, your taxes, or your needs (all of Israel’s operations definitely use your tax dollars and definitely could be applied to your needs and those of your city). Sure, it would be great if everyone saw themselves as a global citizen, sharing a global humanity of the human race.
But that’s not our reality.
I get it. People have bills. People have work and responsibilities. Some still don’t see this as hitting home enough. Capitalism is out here to exhaust you. That much is true. Yet, this precedent the US has set could hit home at any point.
I’ll put it this way: who is your boogeyman?
Who is your ‘Hamas?’ Aside from the US’ involvement in Israel, as a nation—who is our Hamas?
For you, is it a mass shooter in a city center or transport hub? In a school? Because for the US, in Philadelphia, it was MOVE. A black liberation group considered ‘radical’ and ‘leftist’—while not doing anything close to causing an insurrection on the Capitol. But they posed enough threat to national ‘security’ to carpet bomb, consequences and collateral be damned (see
’s latest piece on qualifying ‘safety’ for more on this topic & theme). Philadelphia PD’s assault resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including 5 children, and the destruction of entire city blocks, leaving hundreds homeless.What happens if Hamas is stateside? Either in reality or in a theory that they are integrated on US school campuses? Are we cosigning allowing bombs to be dropped by our own government on our citizens? By Israel? What if this went down in NYC? What if Hamas has actual hostages in Manhattan? What if they’re ‘hiding within the general student body,’ as is ‘their US strategy,’ and occupying a building? Would such action be justified or tolerable then? If this sounds wild, then why is it sound policy in Gaza which has a high population density comparable to Miami? What if some hostages were lifelong peace activists? How about lifelong AIPAC donors committed to ‘pro-Israel’ causes?
And if none of this sounds insane, would you give the green light while commuting on the green line?
Because, you know, NY Hamas could just be using their extensive sewer & subway tunnel system.
The boogeyman is monster most wanted, who must be destroyed by any means necessary—with ‘necessary’ being subjective. Really, it’s by any means, at any opportunity, available. The boogeyman can only be cemented into our collective lexicon and cognition by us as a society, passing him down from generation to generation. No matter if it was the government who gave him this designation or even supported him on the low all along.
Once those roots are solidified in our ecosystem, fate, by majority tolerance, internalization, and inaction, becomes rule. You’ve decided what would happen once the boogeyman arrives before you realized, under the right circumstance, you can be his collateral, too. You’ve written your erasure.