World News @lemmy.ml schizoidman @lemmy.ml 4 mo. ago

US airman dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy

www.channelnewsasia.com US airman dies after setting himself on fire outside Israeli embassy

WASHINGTON: A US military service member has died, after setting himself on fire in an apparent act of protest against the war in Gaza, outside the Israeli Embassy in Washington on Sunday (Feb 2

72 comments

I wish to share my most sincere gratitude and love with the service member and their family. According to the article this is the second self immolation outside an Israeli embassy in the US.

Israel is committing genocide, and the US is complicit. Don’t let anyone forget that.
- Can anyone Eli5 us and Israel connection.
  
  I don't know much about politics.
  
  The middle east is an extremely geopolitically important region for the US because of all of the oil it has. The US therefore wants a country that it can use as basically a base of operation and client state in the region. Israel as a european settler colonials state is the client state that America wants because it largely is culturally closer to the US than the surrounding arab states. Consequently, the US defends Israel to the hilt regardless of the constant stream of atrocities that it commits.
  
  The US is funding Israel to be their minion in the Middle East. A lot like China and North Korea, now that I think about it. Israel has a bit more autonomy than North Korea, though.
- I did not realize this happened in the US.
  
  News coverage of this is super sus
  
  News coverage of this is super sus
  
  I only learned about the first one due to this discussion we're in right here.
  
  https://apnews.com/article/israeli-consulate-self-immolation-atlanta-protester-8f17dd72592f86797a45cda9b60605a5
  
  News coverage of this is super sus
  
  How so? Every article I read mentioned where it happened as well as US organizations performing the investigations.
- Wow, I thought it was another story about the first one.
  
  The first one? Which first one?
Aaron Bushnell, hero and role model
- I wish he had another choice. We failed him by not being organized enough to welcome him as a comrade. Instead he chose to do the only thing he could. I admire his courage, but it's a damn shame we lost someone willing to die for Palestinians.
  
  We've failed him, we've failed the Palestinians, we've failed our immigrants and refugees, we've failed our LGBTQ+ people and people of color, we've failed our poor. The story of America is a story of one failure after another.
  
  And I say "America" even though this is world news, because he was American.
  
  He was actively involved in anarchist organizing with Serve the People in Akron, OH.
- I'd like to know why anyone would downvote this. Do you support genocide?
  
  Maybe people are understandably uncomfortable with self immolation? Nobody has ever liked an effective activist in their time. The civil rights protesters in USA had a <25% approval rate in the 60s.
  
  I think this person did what he thought was right, and I will remember him for that. And peace can't come soon enough.
  
  Sadly there are still a lot of vile people on Lemmy. A lot less than Reddit, but still plenty
  
  How about suicide? Less fond of that one.
  
  Telling people that someone who burn himself is a role model is poor taste even if you respect the cause.
- No. Dumbass. This is pointless. He would've been much more effective with a sign and bullhorn protesting all day, every day.
  
  Pretty tacky to explain to a person who made such a huge impact what he should have done
  
  Also uncivil to call me a d*mbass for respecting this man. Reported.
- Can we please not call people who set themselves on fire role models?
  
  Aaron Bushnell is a fucking role model
  
  I wish I had half the courage it took
Eyes Left Podcast: A Guide to Getting Out of the US Military (Now) w/ the GI Rights Hotline
GI Rights Hotline: https://girightshotline.org/
- ACAB doesn't include cops/military who quit.
Absolute legend.
This is crazy
Will news/ acts like this change anything to US policy towards Israel?
- Never. Israel pays too much to US politicians and election campaigns for the ghouls they get elected to ever change. If they do have a change of heart they are easily replaced.
- One less protester
My thoughts are with his family.
All it takes to get people to cheer on suicide via self-immolation is doing it for the right cause, I guess. Gross.
- Well, we're here talking about an important issue and he'll be remembered forever.
  
  What are you using your life for?
  
  What are you using your life for?
  
  This is where you start asking yourself if you're really a good person after all.

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