Articles
On the Limitations of the ‘Lived Experience’
For the better part of a decade, I immersed myself in social justice causes. I made sure I kept myself up-to-date with the latest social justice jargon, even when it was confusing and contradictory (though I wouldn’t admit to it at the time).
On anti-Zionism and Antisemitism: A Response to Mark White’s Article in Plebity
I appreciate the opportunity to respond to Mark White’s blog in Plebity arguing that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. I take up some but not all of Mark’s arguments. But Mark’s analysis is off base both conceptually and factually in several places.
No, Anti-Zionism does not Equal Antisemitism
When Jews discourage debate about Israel and Jewish identity, they prevent open conversation and legitimate criticism of Israel, which leaves the field open for real antisemites to use anti-Zionist language to promote and spread their actual antisemitism.
‘Do Your Part’: On the Toxic Rise of Moral Grandstanding in the Pandemic
Moral grandstanding is an ever-present, seductive force. It may feel impossible to avoid for many of us, but it is necessary to do so if we want to coexist meaningfully with each other. Next time you feel the urge to make a moral proclamation, consider whether you are actually advancing a cause, or yourself.
Why the Medical Community is Abandoning Science in the Age of Denial
While medical schools still use some modified version of the Hippocratic Oath, many medical schools, including Harvard, Yale, and the University of Texas are now allowing students to write their own oaths. At the University of Pittsburgh, the graduating class of 2024 wrote an oath of ethics with a social justice bent.
A Story of Fake Photojournalism: The Book of Veles, Real Euros for Fake News
This fake news story begins in Veles, a small city of 40,000 people in Macedonia. Veles became widely known in the Trump election of 2016 as a production center for false information websites. Presumably, there were hundreds of fake news websites developed by some people in Veles that generated income from ads.
Latest Free Speech Grants Go To Rachel Damiano and Katie Medart
The latest Plebity Free Speech Fund recipients are two Oregon educators, Rachel Damiano and Katie Medart. Rachel, Assistant Principal, and Katie, 7th-grade science teacher...
Book Banning: the Secrets of Dissident Soviet Writers
In this episode, Sasha is joined by Hunter College Professor Yasha Klots for a discussion on Soviet contraband literature, censorship, and what we can learn about our current climate from the history of book banning in the USSR.
The Underground Episode 8: Why Do Mainstream Journalists Hate Free Speech
In this episode Sasha, Nesim and Rozali look at a Tech Crunch article about Substack's recent acquisition of the platform Letter, and the critiques of Substack for allowing certain views to be expressed on the site. They discuss the way free speech is portrayed as a dirty concept, something which militants use to hate monger, and how little or no evidence is provided for claims such as accusations of transphobia.
Lessons from the 2nd Wave with Women’s Liberation Leader Harriet Fraad
In this episode, Sasha is joined by Harriet Fraad, feminist activist, psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, for a discussion on feminism and class. They talk about how class needs to be at the basis for all social justice activism, her thoughts on the failures and successes of the 2nd wave, debates within feminism like trans activism, Gloria Steinem and the corporate and government sabotage of feminism and the racial equality movement, and the destructive mindset feminists should avoid if they want to be successful in the movement.
Surveillance has been Normalized but so has Self-Censorship
Revelations like those from Snowden and the Pegasus Project have this same unexpected and counterintuitive effect. Instead of rejecting the control, we increasingly learn to adapt and self censor. The panopticon effect lies exactly in this acceptance of the new normal. Afraid to say the wrong thing, we self censure our discourse and the allowable range of ideas becomes more and more narrow. Those who fail to ‘check their words’ are cancelled and provide an example for the rest.
The Underground Episode 7: Media Watch — the Pegasus Leak
In this episode, Sasha and Nesim are joined by Plebity writer Rozali Telbis to discuss the recent revelations about the spyware Pegasus—produced by Israeli company NSO Group—which is used by client governments to spy on journalists, activists, political leaders, and others.