Midrange Weekly May 17
Your Weekly Round Up On What’s Got The Midrange Staff’s Attention
Midrange Staff @midrangeyvr
Welcome back to Midrange Weekly, and congratulations to what seems like a big chunk of BC getting their first round of the vaccine this week. Are you a Phizer bro? In the rebellious AZ squad? If you got the Johnson & Johnson don’t talk to us. We kid of course, all of the vaccines are great, but then that’s always been true. A lot of us are no doubt itching for when we can gather in larger groups, although perhaps we are forgetting just how hard it’s always been to coordinate the time of more than five living, breathing people at once. Still, it’s fun to dream. Lots happening this week, and a lot of opinions going around on the current shit show of recent events. You better believe we’re gonna talk about ours.
Why What’s Happening In Israel/Palestine Feels Different This Time (Maybe)
via @AFP
For all the cynical resignation in the idea that history, in its oppressive and violent forms, is doomed to repeat itself in perpetuity, such sentiments rarely feel more agonizingly acute than when it comes to Israel and Palestine. For a lifetime we’ve seen over and over again the cyclical and routinized nature of a debilitating status quo in the region, one where territorial disputes give way to hostilities, which breeds all out conflict, and once the death toll reaches a number considered to be unpalatable a band aid of a settlement redirects things back to an untenable disequilibrium. Ever since Hamas wrestled control of the Gaza Strip in 2007- while the West Bank remains in control of the comparatively less militant Palestinian Authority- this cycle of parochial warfare has been codified into near systemic efficiency; By acquiescing to the horrifying realities of open war as a necessary tool in futile statecraft, the attendant loss of life- almost always disproportionally Palestinian- has gone from tragically avoidable to inevitable.
Politicians, regional experts, and geo political think tanks all rue the intractable nature of Israel’s draconian oppression and annexation of Palestinian land. Yet the seemingly endless purgatory that defines these boarder disputes is only as such because one side is overwhelming backed by the United States. Israel dominates in the conflict with a highly militarized police force and even more threating military presence because it is largely subsidized by US foreign aid, but more importantly because their position in the conflict is laundered through American talking points of self defence and self determination. This conflict has limped on over and over again for so long because America, specifically its leaders, has proven unwilling or incapable to condemn Israel’s colonial aggression. As long as that’s the case, Israel has been free to push the boundaries, literally and figuratively, in their conduct with little fear of international backlash.
For the first time however, that sentiment may be changing. What’s more, this burgeoning transformation in the framing of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict has caught many US politicians of guard, and the results are interesting. There was never any hope for the republicans to accommodate evolving viewpoints on anything related to colonial adventurism in the Middle East, but democrats have had to adjust to a primordial sea change in public opinion about how to apply terms like aggressor or self-defence in these contexts. Not so long ago whenever hostilities flared up in the region all any politician, even that of a liberal persuasion, had to do was release a perfunctory statement saying they stand with their allies in Israel and that the nation had a right to self-defence. Media coverage of any incidents was similarly ensconced in subtle but no less pernicious biases. News stories would detail ad hoc guerrilla tactics by the Palestinians, using language adjacent to terrorism to the point where it was a subliminal dog whistle. Meanwhile Israeli aggression would be discussed using the anodyne and sterile terms of military modernity. Targeted air strikes, drone launches, etc.
This sanitization of and obfuscating the inherent disequilibrium between the two groups (three if you acknowledge that the PA and Hamas are wholly different) is no longer cutting it, and many democrats are uncomfortably struggling to adjust. Good. All across social media, people are demanding more context and transparency in how our leaders respond to this crisis. That the reason Palestine uses such ad hoc and crude tactics, the weapons and stratagems of terrorists, is because that’s all they have. That the reason the Israelis have the cutting edge and pin point accuracy type of weaponry, and get to conduct themselves in ways that seem less savage is because they have been afforded this privilege by foreign benefactors. It’s not hard to notice a correlation between grass roots advocacy for Palestinian rights and the activist wing of social media this time around. Indeed the last time Israel and Palestine broke into all out war was in 2009/2010, back when social media was a little too nascent to be a force for change- good or bad. Since then however the tools and applications of social media have been honed considerably through the Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements. The utility of social media in advocating for a cause is now far more efficient and wide spread, something to be activated with ubiquitous impact should the people demand it. A great many of us have no doubt seen IG info graphics succinctly explaining the inequities and false narratives that have swirled around the conflict for too long. Even CNN interviewed a Palestinian national for their take on the events, which not too long ago seemed inconceivable.
Many prominent leaders apparently didn’t get the memo. Andrew Yang, who once again is not your friend, released a boilerplate statement supporting Israel and saying they had a right to self-defence. Liberals and other similar demographics he is catering to in his own electoral ambitions were decidedly unimpressed by his lazy, propagandistic take on the crisis. Politicians are discovering they no longer get to say that Israel has the right to self-defence without being asked if Palestine has the same right. Democrats can’t chime in on the rocket attacks from Hamas to condemn them without acknowledging that this particular round in the iterative conflict started with Israeli evictions of Palestinians in east Jerusalem neighbourhood Sheikh Jarrah, as well as blockading Damascus Gate, an Arab holy site on Ramadan, and finally a raid by police on al-Aqsa Mosque, another location of prominent holy import to Palestinian Muslims. People are starting to do their homework and seeing through the talking points. Biden has also found himself under fire from the left flank for not adapting to the realities of colonial aggression that define this conflict. Humanitarian crises such as this have long been seen by celebrities as a cynical opportunity to display their altruism and humanity, but even that’s clearly no longer in vogue. Gal Gadot, an Israeli herself who like all in her country served in the Israeli Defence Force released a tone deaf statement calling for peace but didn’t even mention the existence or plight of Palestinians, referring to them in callously innocuous terms as mere ‘neighbours’. That’s a rich way to describe a people that your country is subjecting to ethnic cleansing at best and genocide at worst.
This surely won’t be the last time Israeli aggression sparks hostilities in the region again, but this seems like the first time Israel and all of their appendices that were so sure it was within their self interest to back them have lost control of the narrative. That may not be good enough to prevent further loss of life, but the democratization of awareness on what has been alleged to be a complicated issue (it isn’t) will hopefully remove at least one weapon from the Israeli government’s far too massive arsenal. -Tristan
This is painfully accurate. https://t.co/jpOk8uI9j9
— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) May 14, 2021
Kobe Bryant: The Totality Of A Career Realized — A Legacy To Learn From
When Kobe Bryant passed away on January 26th of last year I was crushed beyond belief. Those who know me understand how much I admired his game, his career and most importantly the man he grew into. It’s been a weird ride since that fateful day.
I still watch clips of his past performances on the regular. I consistently read old stories. He’s gone, but never far from my life. It’s strange thinking this way. That his life has stopped. That nothing new will ever be talked about. It’s heartbreaking, but a sad fact of life. Some, sadly, just leave us to soon. And even though they do, it’s on us to remember their lives and how they imprinted our world. Thankfully, for people like Kobe, whose life was bigger than most could ever dream of, his former employer honours its greats with a yearly ceremony. A chance to reflect and pay tribute to those select few who dreamed big and succeeded even more so.
Therefore, this past Saturday, Kobe, along with fellow NBA greats Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett were inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as the class of 2020. The ceremony was the final culmination of their basketball journeys. A chance to reflect and finally marvel at all the accomplishments achieved. An opportunity to say thank you to all those who helped along the way. Tim and Kevin were both exactly as I expected them to be, one was nervous and shy while the other was emotional and free. Kobe’s wife Vanessa took his place, alongside his mentor, idol and friend, Michael Jordan. Her speech was calm, congratulatory and most importantly, touching. She showcased complete and total love for her husband. It was remarkable to see. Kobe had achieved immortality with how he played the game, but his most enduring and lasting legacy was with the woman standing for him in this moment and his three remaining young daughters who sat watching.
We so often live our lives hoping we achieve greatness in work and the endeavours we pursue. In doing so, we spend countless hours toiling so that we can live and provide for our livelihoods. But also, so that we can garner respect from our peers. The human need for ambition is truly remarkable.
The feats we can and have achieved are astounding. We’ve put men into space for goodness sakes. There’s no telling what our aspirations will take us.
Kobe is an embodiment of this ideal. His passion and drive was limitless. Some say unmatched. He wanted to be the best he could be at his craft. There’s honour in that and it’s why he’s so revered. Not just because he won, but because he really cared.
We idolize men like him because for most of us, this relentless pursuit of perfection is something we all want, yet seldom achieve or work for. His legacy in basketball will live on in how he showed us all that you should take each day and assume it might be your last. His death figuratively points that it can happen much sooner than we might ever expect. It’s a beautiful lesson to teach, because it shows our humanity.
Life isn’t easy and what you make of it is what you will leave behind for others to learn from. But how you live and those whom you choose to spend your time with is the real marvel of our existence. Kobe became an impeccable father and husband and even though I’ll always admire his game as a basketball player for the rest of my life, what I want to take most from his life is how he lived for them. I hope to do the same for my own wife and children one day.
That’s a legacy. How he loved them so much. - Jamie
Things From The Internet We Liked
What The Hell Is Frasier Doing In Cyberpunk 2077?
That’s a question that none of us should ever have to ask, and yet here we are for some reason. Apparently a moder by the name of Major Frasier with an- I’m going to say unhealthy- fixation on the 90s sitcom character has inserted dear Dr Crane in to the dystopian mess of a game. While Frasier was no stranger to the occasional bout of existential malaise on his show, his turn here is more evocative of a nihilistic super villain. We’re kinda pushing it with the whole “things from the internet we liked”, but still, this is a hell of a thing. Fair warning, Frasier looks terrifying in this.
Watch This Vox Video If You Are Confused About The Israeli/Palestinian Conflict
This video is a from a few years back but it certainly still covers all the relevant information needed to understand this issue.
Crumb Finally Has An Outburst In Their New Album
During their short time on the scene psych pop outfit Crumb has carved out a distinctive niche for their glacial and docile brand of detached pop. Always humming along to a low bpm and laced with ironically taciturn vocals, you knew what you were getting from Crumb and you knew they could deliver. That’s why it’s such a pleasant surprise that on Tunnel (all you have), the penultimate track from their new album Ice Melt the instrumentals erupt into a volatile tirade of volume and cacophony. Big fans.
Practically Useful Life Hacks
Do you hate mornings? Trouble with applying deodorant? If you answered yes to one or both of these questions then Eric Fensler has some answers for you. Practically useful? more like essentially useful.