Let us be honest!
In our childhoods, whenever we were caught up in an unwinnable argument there was a pre-cooked escape; “jo kehta ha wahe hota hai” (he who blames, carries that on himself). The magic of this phrase is that it makes both the competitors believe they won, with one forming an illusion (at least) of his phrase as being the last nail that made the other speechless while the other knows in his heart that such statements are only brought once there is no logical counter left making it a de-facto victory for the other.
As we grew and looked back, the absurd nature of these silly rebuts made us all laugh. Behold! Such rebuts were not that silly since most of the media commentators in the US with reputable profiles in their profession or right-leaning politicians are still holding on to this technique.
The recent manifestation of this was witnessed during the recent 11-day conflict in Gaza, where this escape was utilized more than ever by various right-wingers in the US. Bernie Sanders, who penned an illuminating article in the New York Times on the unjust policies of the US in Israel which recklessly strengthen the apartheid regime of Israel, was labeled by Alan Dershowitz (an infamous legal aide to President Trump, and a former Harvard law professor) as a “self-hating Jew”.
Similar was the fate of Pakistan’s foreign minister who was outrightly blamed to be an anti-Semite in the absence of any plausible counter. It is not comprehensible how blaming the Jews for being influential is an anti-Semitic comment. If there was no dust on the Jewish lobbyists (as the anchor seemed to believe) it should have been a matter of pride rather than something to cover up from (an Urdu expression for such a situation: chor key darhi mein tinka).
Clearly, all the minister did was to build upon the thesis of a prominent Jewish professor Noam Chomsky who in his bestseller Manufacturing Consent made a clear case for how various corporations govern the US media and shape the discourse in their favor. It is mentioned that Disney amongst other corporations owns ABC news or even Marvel Studios and it is no secret that the Chairman of this brand is a Jewish businessman Robert Allen Iger.
Similarly, the co-founder of Facebook, Paypal, and you find them everywhere and there is ideally nothing concerning about their successes. No one, neither our Minister nor Noam Chomsky is after Jewish businessmen like Jared Kushner because of their faith but they are for the misuse of their authority to undermine the truth and plight of the Palestinians. And turning the remark about their affluence into something racist is clearly proof of their ill-practices since in any other case the reply should have been more descriptive than a meatless rebuke.
It is also common practice that when one attempts to speak for Palestinians, he is instinctively reminded of how Hamas launches rockets on civilian areas of Isreal and how one is a Hamas-apologist (a perfect description of Jo Kehta ha Wahe Hota Hai). Well, certainly no denying the rocket-attacks by Hamas that kill civilians may constitute war crimes but why not sit and compare the proportionality? Or at least the contexts? But going to such a place means a certain defeat for the zealots. Facts are straight, how will they be denied?
Thus, acknowledging this, the area of debate within media is framed in a particular way in which a certain threshold is never crossed and once it is about to; well, you know the trick! The Ambassador also; oh my bad the Foreign Minister seemed to have stepped on the red line of that frame prompting the anchor to exercise her last weapon. This was the finest proof of the arguments Noam Chomsky makes in his book about fixated discourse settings within media.
But the real question here is for how long will this practice of “if you call me wrong, you are wrong” continue on? The world is burning, it is inhabiting new conflicts each day and there are amongst us humans who are still not ready to talk. Why not walk out of these senseless rebuts and act like grown-ups to conduct difficult conversations to craft better solutions as President JF. Kennedy who had under his belt the resolution of the Cuban missile crisis once remarked that “Our problems are man-made and therefore they can be solved by man and man’s reason and spirit have often solved the unsolvable”.
So, why not raise that reason and spirit than raising baseless reproaches which contain no utility. Also, further JFK adds; ”the basic common link between us humans is that we all inhabit this small planet, we all breathe the same air, we all cherish our children’s future and we are all mortal”. Let us cherish then our children’s future than wasting them in vain through childish demeanors and not conducting the much-needed conversations to perpetually halt the violence.
Unfortunately, this is something which is not seen in the aftermath of the ceasefire too, as the occupiers claim their own victory while Hamas it’s own when in actuality the only victor in war. Jaun Elia, a personal favorite of mine whom I consider to be amongst the best thinkers to have ever lived on this land, in his poetry wrote something which if the thought of is at the heart of all conflicts including the one discussed here, and I leave the reader with those contemplative lines.
Ek he haadsa tu hai, aur woh yeh kay aaj taak
Baat nahe kahey gaye, baat nahe suney gaye
(There is just one sole tragedy till date, and that is;
The words were never said, the words were never heard)
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