By Rev. Redeem G. Robinson (above), re-posted with permission from his Substack newsletter. Read more about his work at holytrouble.com.

Donald Trump has openly declared that the U.S. will take over Gaza, a proposal that amounts to nothing short of ethnic cleansing. Yet, rather than directing their outrage at the bipartisan imperialism that led to this moment, many Democrats have instead chosen to lash out at Jill Stein and third-party voters on social media. Their response is not a condemnation of Trump’s genocidal plans, nor is it an admission of how the Biden administration or previous administrations paved the way for this atrocity. Instead, their first reaction is a smug “We told you Trump was worse.”

This is the defining feature of neoliberal politics: a refusal to take responsibility for their complicity in imperialism, and then guilt those who refuse to “fall in line.” But let’s be real—Trump’s plan to take over Gaza didn’t just pop up out of no where. It is an extension of the genocidal policies already in place under Biden, who has armed Israel as it massacres hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. To act as though Trump’s rhetoric is some shocking departure from the status quo is pure gaslighting.

For months, the Biden administration has supplied Israel with weapons, and unwavering support as it bombs Gaza to clear it out for “development.” The U.S. vetoed multiple ceasefire resolutions, ensured that humanitarian aid was blocked or delayed, and rewarded Netanyahu’s war crimes with more military funding and even welcomed him with applause in Congress. Even as videos of starving children, children with missing limbs, and mass graves circulated globally, Biden stood firm in his defense of Israel’s so-called right to defend itself. Kamala Harris’ pathetic attempt to call for “pauses” in the genocide while continuing to arm the perpetrators should be a clear indication that this administration has never cared about Palestinian lives. Also, let’s not act like we forgot that the Palestinian voices were blocked and excluded at the Democratic National Convention. 

Continue reading “The Bipartisan Imperialism that led to this Moment” →