#powerandpolitics

[ptitolier]

Why Gaza, But Not Congo or the Kurds?

Based on Francesca Albanese’s interview with Novara Media (Jan 22, 2025).

Western governments claim to stand for human rights, yet their selective outrage suggests otherwise. Gaza is a global focus, with fierce debates over whether Israel’s actions constitute genocide. Meanwhile, nearly 2,900 people were massacred in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Kurds continue to face relentless attacks by Turkey��yet neither crisis receives the same level of attention.

Why?

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine, argues that human rights are being manipulated for political convenience. The West is quick to call an atrocity "genocide" when it suits its interests—but when it doesn’t, leaders suddenly insist on waiting for legal rulings, downplaying mass killings and shifting focus elsewhere.

But this isn’t just about terminology. It’s about who gets to be a victim and who is erased from history.

The Politics of Selective Outrage

Consider how the world reacts to different humanitarian crises. Some conflicts trigger immediate media coverage, political statements, and calls for justice, while others are met with silence.

Gaza: A Political Fault Line

The war in Gaza has sparked mass protests, diplomatic crises, and international court cases. Israel’s actions are being examined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for potential genocide, yet Western leaders hesitate to acknowledge this reality. Instead, they insist that only courts can define genocide—even though they had no problem using the term elsewhere, like in Sudan.

The Congo Massacre: A Forgotten War

Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, nearly 2,900 people were massacred in recent weeks. This is part of a conflict that has claimed millions of lives over the past two decades. Yet, there are no urgent debates, no global protests, no court cases demanding justice.

Why? Because the Congo is rich in coltan, cobalt, and gold—resources that fuel Western industries. Acknowledging the full scale of this tragedy would expose the complicity of multinational corporations and global powers in maintaining instability for economic gain.

The Kurds: A People Under Siege

Then there’s the Kurdish people, who have been persecuted for decades. Turkey, a NATO ally, carries out airstrikes and military operations against Kurdish populations, often under the pretext of "counterterrorism."

Yet, despite systematic attacks on Kurdish civilians, Western governments refuse to hold Turkey accountable. The silence here is not accidental—it is strategic. Turkey is too important as a military and economic partner for the West to challenge its actions.

The pattern is clear: when an atrocity is politically inconvenient, it is erased.

Who Decides Which Lives Matter?

As Noam Chomsky once said, "Moral principles are only applied when they serve the interests of the powerful."

This is not just media bias. It is a systemic failure of global justice.

. The UN is paralyzed, unable to act when major powers have a stake in the conflict.

. International courts take years to rule, often too late to prevent further atrocities.

. Mainstream media follows political priorities, amplifying some crises while ignoring others.

This selectivity creates a dangerous precedent: if human rights are only enforced when convenient, they cease to have any meaning at all.

Manufacturing Outrage: The Role of Media and Power

Philosopher Peter Sloterdijk, in Rage and Time, argues that public outrage is not spontaneous—it is managed. Governments and media decide which tragedies deserve our attention and which can be ignored.

Gaza is front-page news because it sparks political tensions in the West.

Congo is sidelined because global industries depend on its resources.

The Kurds are abandoned because Western allies are responsible for their suffering.

If human rights were truly universal, these crises would be treated with the same urgency. Instead, we see a hierarchy of suffering, where some lives are deemed more valuable than others.

The Real Crisis: A Collapsing Human Rights System

As Francesca Albanese warns, “Even if Israel stopped its crimes today, it has already put the entire human rights system in danger.”

But this crisis extends beyond Gaza. The entire global legal order is unraveling, revealing its true function—not as a safeguard for humanity, but as a tool for power.

If justice is applied selectively, then it is not justice at all.

How Do We Fight This Hypocrisy?

If legal institutions and the media dictate which atrocities matter, public awareness becomes the last line of defense.

As Naomi Klein explains in The Shock Doctrine, systems of oppression rely on keeping people overwhelmed and distracted. The best way to resist is to reject selective outrage.

Demand accountability for all human rights violations, not just the convenient ones.

Expose the hidden conflicts that governments and corporations want us to ignore.

Support independent voices that challenge the media’s selective focus.

Justice should not be conditional. If we truly care about human rights, we must demand justice for all victims—whether in Gaza, Congo, or Kurdistan.

The hypocrisy of the global system is clear. The real question is: will we only challenge it when it’s politically convenient?

Read the full breakdown here:

P'tit Tôlier

Essayist & Popularizer. I analyze the world through accessible philosophical essays. Complex ideas, explained simply—to help us think about our times.

[lekhjunction]

अहंकार आपको ले डूब सकता है, आप से बेहतर कौन समझ सकता है

मने हमारी सगाई में भगोना उल्टा दिया था अब तुम्हारी शादी में हम पत्तल उड़ा देंगे। आज के चुनावी नतीजों को देखकर ऐसा कहा जा सकता है। कांग्रेस औ�� आम आदमी पार्टी के मतभेद जो हरियाणा से शुरू हुए, उसमें दिल्ली चुनाव का भी अध्याय जुड़ गया। खैर, इन सब के बीच बीजेपी को बधाई। हम इतने बड़े विशेषज्ञ तो नहीं जो इतने बड़े-बड़े लोगों को सलाह दें कि इस चुनाव में उन्होंने क्या सही किया और क्या गलत, लेकिन एक सही वाले आम आदमी की तरह अपना विचार तो साझा कर सकते हैं।...

पूरा आर्टिकल पढ़ने के लिए नीचे दिए गए लिंक पर क्लिक करें:

[dark-rx]

Manufacturing Consent:  The Political Economy of the Mass Media - Edward S. Herman & Noam Chomsky

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Green Party Leader Elizabeth May says elected members of her party won't be prevented from trying to reopen the debate on abortion in the next Parliament, despite her own stated belief that "a woman has a right to a safe, legal abortion."

"I could talk to them. I could try to dissuade them. I could say it would be unfortunate ... but I don't have the power as leader of the Green Party to whip votes, nor do I have the power to silence an MP," May said in an interview with CBC News Network's Power & Politics.

"And frankly, I think that's a good thing because democracy will be healthier when constituents know that their MP works for them and not their party leader," May told host Vassy Kapelos.

[...]

In 2014, Liberal Justin Trudeau barred any new members of his caucus from supporting any restrictions on abortion access.

NDP spokesperson Melanie Richer said a candidate must be pro-choice in order to run for the party. "There's no room in the NDP caucus for those who don't support a woman's right to choose," she said.

Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has said a Conservative government led by him would not reopen the debate on abortion, but it remains unclear whether he would allow a Conservative MP to table a private member's bill on the issue.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @ontarionewsnow @abpoli @politicsofcanada

[thejusticethatissocial]

The federal government is set to become the official owner of the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project after failing to secure a new buyer by the July 22 deadline.

Ottawa made plans to purchase the pipeline after Kinder Morgan suspended construction of the expansion project, citing investor uncertainty stemming from ongoing opposition from the British Columbia government.

Ottawa has framed the plan to purchase the pipeline as financially sound and necessary to ensure a vital piece of energy infrastructure gets built, but questions have been raised about how much the government paid.

CBC News has obtained a copy of the purchase agreement with Kinder Morgan. Here's what you need to know.

Continue Reading

[grahamperryondisputeresolution]

NATO CONFRONTS CHINA

https://grahamperryonchina.com/?p=1801 NATO CONFRONTS CHINA - NATO Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, says NATO must join forces with friendly nations “around the world to confront the growing power of China”. He says that China has used “coercion” against its neighbours + then states “And, perhaps most importantly, China does not share our values”. The West does not know which way to turn. It has assessed China wrongly, for many years believing that China would “mature” into capitalist society and become “normal”. The reference to “not sharing our values” is another way of saying “China is not one of us so let’s get together and stop her progress.” Bring China down a notch or two until it becomes compliant + co-operative. But the horse has bolted and the stable door is still open. China is not about to change direction. Two points for consideration. First, The EU/US/UK/Canada imposed sanctions against China. Significantly, Japan did not join them. Second, who is more important to China? The EU/US/UK or ASEAN. It is ASEAN and there are no sanctions from ASEAN. The wind is blowing but in which direction? - #china #diplomacy #nato #powerandpolitics #stoltenberg #tugendhat - https://grahamperryonchina.com/?p=1801

[earthpages]

When you're tackling a problem as complex as climate change, it helps to take a high-level view — say, about 400 kilometres off the ground — the next Canadian in space told CBC's Power & Politics last month.

[hcsmca]

HCSM News ~ Holding China accountable is in Canada's 'moral' and 'strategic' interests, says ex-ambassador

Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power says China's actions early on in the pandemic 'absolutely' should be investigated and that holding the regime accountable is in Canada's 'moral' and 'strategic' interests.

Read more from CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/powerandpolitics/samantha-power-holding-china-accountable-canada-interests-1.5550627?cmp=rss

[yogeshmalik]

Canada isn't ready for the emerging technologies of the 21st century, warns AI developer - CBC.ca https://ift.tt/2SFJHLp

[daybreaknorth]

Host Vassy Kapelos asked Singh several times whether he supported the $40 billion LNG project in northern B.C., after he repeatedly told reporters on Monday that the future of energy in Canada does not include fracking or fossil fuels.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

Former Progressive Conservative prime minister Kim Campbell says that the Conservatives' climate strategy falls short.

"They produced a plan that has no targets," she told Power and Politics host Vassy Kapelos in a recent interview, airing today. "It really is a sop, I think."

Unveiled by party leader Andrew Scheer last week, the plan would, among other things, compel large carbon emitters to invest in green technology if they emit over a certain limit. It doesn't clearly state it would achieve Canada's emissions reduction commitments under the Paris Agreement, nor does it say how much its initiatives would reduce emissions.

Under the global Paris Agreement, Canada committed to reducing emissions 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. The latest data show Canada isn't going to meet that commitment, although Environment Minister Catherine McKenna insists Canada is on the right track.

Along with her criticism of the Conservative Party plan, Campbell said she has "no time" for climate change deniers.

Continue Reading.

[darrylrocco]

Shopify CEO says he can't project demand for online marijuana sales

The CEO of the company that is helping to run online pot sales for Ontario and B.C. said he is unable to project how much demand there will be for cannabis when it becomes legal for recreational use Oct. 17.

from CBC | Business News https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/powerandpolitics/shopify-pot-estimate-demand-1.4839701?cmp=rss

[prodigious--skill]

lucius malfoy & bellatrix lestrange - moodboard (1/?)

@powerandpolitics

[lcnewolfs]

Send me a ☑: For an invitation from my muse to yours

(written late one evening after a few too many drinks, before being thrown in the fireplace the next morning)

Dear Lucius,To whom it may concern,Arrogant prick,

Malfoy,

It is my great privilege and honor to invite all you and your friends to go fuck yourselves. 

Seeing as the lot of you have nothing better to do than being elitists hellbent on destroying what’s left of the wizarding community, I figure you must have some time in your schedule to do that. 

Have a splendid time. 

Fondly, Remus J. Lupin