I suppose it is an easy argument to make that anyone who sets themselves on fire has mental health issues. Aaron Bushnell, however, seemed beset with conflicts of political morality. When the young active-duty U.S. Air Force serviceman put himself to flame outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., he said, and wrote, in advance that he would not be complicit in a genocide. He suggested the suffering of Palestinians under Israeli assault and American support was far more than the brief pain he was about to endure, and he would not be complicit in a genocide.
Bushnell had more balls than the entire military who despicably dismissed his action while hiding behind a wall of boilerplate platitudes, much less the media, who did their best to bury the story.
So conscientiously researched as usual to refresh your memory and ours. And kudos for having so quickly self-caught that initial conflation of the Palestinian Facebook groups’ denunciation of the brutality of Hammas with the separate corruption of Mahmoud Abbas and his West Bank Palestinian Authority (Yes, some of us enjoy reading you TWICE). Thich Quang Duc was the first of many immolations I remember witnessing via media, without actually having remembered the name. Of course, for impact, although not self-inflicted, nothing exceeded Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of 9 year-old “napalm girl” Kim Phuc running down the road toward the camera screaming, burned and naked, after having been mistaken for Viet Cong while actually in a group of Vietnamese fleeing south. The Cardinal Spellman subtext also calls to mind the opposing roll of religion in the Vietnam protest including Sister Corita, the Berrigan bros., and William Sloan Coffin. Diem also resurrects long ago images including the succession of Vietnamese juntas that seemed always disingenuously presented as better than the last, like that swashbuckler Field Marshall Ky, who probably regretted his pre-Trumpian expression of admiration for Hitler as a strong leader. What justification can ever get its head around 30,000 civilian deaths defies comprehension, regardless of alleged provocation.
The situation with Israel's genocide is infuriating...and America's continued support of Israel is disgusting...Bushnell's sacrifice, as others in the recent and distant past is great but as you point out is largely misrepresented and misunderstood...Thich Quang Duc came to mind with the reporting of Bushnell's actions...thanks for sharing the information...
Bushnell had more balls than the entire military who despicably dismissed his action while hiding behind a wall of boilerplate platitudes, much less the media, who did their best to bury the story.
Thanks for covering this, Jim. The context/history of immolation was helpful, too.
So conscientiously researched as usual to refresh your memory and ours. And kudos for having so quickly self-caught that initial conflation of the Palestinian Facebook groups’ denunciation of the brutality of Hammas with the separate corruption of Mahmoud Abbas and his West Bank Palestinian Authority (Yes, some of us enjoy reading you TWICE). Thich Quang Duc was the first of many immolations I remember witnessing via media, without actually having remembered the name. Of course, for impact, although not self-inflicted, nothing exceeded Nick Ut’s Pulitzer Prize-winning photo of 9 year-old “napalm girl” Kim Phuc running down the road toward the camera screaming, burned and naked, after having been mistaken for Viet Cong while actually in a group of Vietnamese fleeing south. The Cardinal Spellman subtext also calls to mind the opposing roll of religion in the Vietnam protest including Sister Corita, the Berrigan bros., and William Sloan Coffin. Diem also resurrects long ago images including the succession of Vietnamese juntas that seemed always disingenuously presented as better than the last, like that swashbuckler Field Marshall Ky, who probably regretted his pre-Trumpian expression of admiration for Hitler as a strong leader. What justification can ever get its head around 30,000 civilian deaths defies comprehension, regardless of alleged provocation.
The situation with Israel's genocide is infuriating...and America's continued support of Israel is disgusting...Bushnell's sacrifice, as others in the recent and distant past is great but as you point out is largely misrepresented and misunderstood...Thich Quang Duc came to mind with the reporting of Bushnell's actions...thanks for sharing the information...
Better watch out: AIPAC will come after you.