That Level of Cruelty Is Where We’re At

It’s not the plot of a science fiction novel or an action movie. This actually happened. You could be next.

Israel apologists have been amazingly defensive about its latest acts of terrorism in Lebanon. It’s extremely important to them that everyone believe it’s awesome and good to turn electronic devices into thousands of bombs placed throughout unsuspecting civilian populations. --Caitlin Johnstone, Biden Didn't "Fail" To Get A Ceasefire; He Never Tried

As someone who has just spent the last 3 years completing a PhD on how tech can be used for international crimes, I never thought blowing up civilian (including hospital staff and children’s) devices would be something to consider. But, apparently that level of cruelty is where we’re at. --Sarah Zarmsky on X

That Level of Cruelty Is Where We’re At

by C.A. Matthews

It’s not the plot of a science fiction novel or an action movie. It’s not an advanced level in a spy-thriller video game. It’s not even some poorly-written fan-fic that others gleefully critique on a deeply-hidden Reddit board. This actually happened. Within two days there were at least 32 human beings killed and thousands severely wounded in Lebanon. (As of September 23, the death toll has risen with at least 492 people killed in the latest strikes, including 38 children and 58 women, and another 1,645 people were wounded.) Children and doctors and nurses and paramedics murdered indiscriminately and without warning.

According to the United Nations:

The [initial] attacks reportedly killed at least 32 people and maimed or injured 3,250, including 200 critically. Among the dead are a boy and a girl, as well as medical personnel. Around 500 people suffered severe eye injuries, including a diplomat. Others suffered grave injuries to their faces, hands and bodies.

“These attacks violate the human right to life, absent any indication that the victims posed an imminent lethal threat to anyone else at the time,” the experts said. “Such attacks require prompt, independent investigation to establish the truth and enable accountability for the crime of murder.” (…)

“To the extent that international humanitarian law applies, at the time of the attacks there was no way of knowing who possessed each device and who was nearby,” the experts said. “Simultaneous attacks by thousands of devices would inevitably violate humanitarian law, by failing to verify each target, and distinguish between protected civilians and those who could potentially be attacked for taking a direct part in hostilities.

“Such attacks could constitute war crimes of murder, attacking civilians, and launching indiscriminate attacks, in addition to violating the right to life,” the experts said.

Humanitarian law additionally prohibits the use of booby-traps disguised as apparently harmless portable objects where specifically designed and constructed with explosives – and this could include a modified civilian pager, the experts said. A booby-trap is a device designed to kill or injure, that functions unexpectedly when a person performs an apparently safe act, such as answering a pager.

There’s only one word that describes this action: terrorism. That level of cruelty is where we’re at. And it could get even worse in the days to come, as a mysterious large bomb was dropped on southern Lebanon this past weekend. Death from above and from your pocket.

Where have we witnessed this level of cruelty recently? You know where. And you know who it is still behind all this wanton death and destruction. If you’re reading this post in English, and it’s your native tongue, then you probably are in some small way paying for this level of cruelty with your tax dollars. It’s against your will in all likelihood, but the majority of the Western world is either too scared or too complacent to do anything to shut down the perpetrators and enablers of the violence. We’re simply too afraid of being called “antisemitic” if we speak out against genocide.

So, let’s not kid ourselves any longer: We have the blood of thousands on our hands. And some day soon, we might find our own bodies being offered up as a sacrifice to the genocidaires as our pagers, smartphones, laptops, tablets, video game consoles... are blown up in our faces and take out our hands and eyes as well.

For all those who think, “This is awesome! We can blow up others around the world that we don’t like or whose land or natural resources we want!” I have some sobering news for you: You are not safe.

The genie has been let out of the bottle, and there’s no way it’s ever going to be stuffed back inside. There’s no denying that level of cruelty we find ourselves at today is here to stay. This level of cruelty, this terrorism, is now completely possible for anyone with a handful of tech-savvy operatives. It’s not science fiction anymore. It’s fact.

By attempting to assassinate so many humans simultaneously, Mossad/CIA/MI-6, etc., have revealed themselves and their methods to the world. Their message is crystal clear: YOU ARE NOT SAFE. YOU WILL NEVER BE SAFE EVER AGAIN AS LONG AS PEOPLE WITHOUT EMPATHY LIKE US ARE IN EXISTENCE.

Feel better now? Wish this technology was still the myth of legend? The plot-twist in a sci-fi tale? Wish there weren’t so many heartless sociopaths in control of this tech who could easily take you and yours out without a moment’s notice? Well, if wishes were horses then beggars would ride, but they don’t. They walk.

It’s time to stop kidding yourself. Stop trying to convince yourself that somehow this level of cruelty we find ourselves at won’t ever be used against you and yours. Face it—you’re not all that special. Your race, religion, political persuasion, socio-economic status, or intelligence cannot save you once someone with this power has declared war on your person. If they want to, they will sneak an explosive into or upload software onto your electronic devices and then one day when you least expect it—ka-BOOM!

You’re history. Even sociopaths aren’t really safe from each other, since there’s no honor among mass murderers, or so I’m told.

Unless you’re willing to go far off-grid and toss all your tech and revert to using just sticks and stones to survive, you will never know another moment of peace in your lifetime. That level of cruelty we find ourselves at is just that heinous. For the first time since our ancestors crawled out of the primordial sea, we have ability to act like vengeful gods against our fellow humans without fear of immediate reprisal.

We are Zeus throwing a thunderbolt at a hated enemy. We are Thor taking his magic hammer and bashing in the heads of despised warriors like nails through a balsa wood plank. We certainly aren’t wise and patient gods who preach “Love your neighbor” or other such nonsense, are we?

We have reached a level of cruelty in which there is no going back.

What can we do then? “Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we may die?” That seems a very narcissistic and self-centered philosophy to me. Do we not want to live and work hard to see our children and grandchildren grow up? Do we not want to see a better world for them to do so in?

If you say, “Who cares!” then you are already dead. You don’t need a pager or cell phone blowing up in your hand to die. You’ve already killed yourself. You’re soulless. Crawl back into your crypt and let the living who have compassion and a conscience work on this problem, okay? Good (riddance).

To meet our challenge, let us keep reminding ourselves that there is no going back—there’s only going forward. We’re not reverting to sticks and stones. We’re not hiding in caves or building ourselves preppers’ bunkers underground. That’s the coward’s way out. We’re standing our ground. We must meet our antagonists face to face. We must shut down their sadistic operations.

It’s not going to be easy, but plenty have already begun the process. You’ve seen them—they’re in the streets. They’re in government buildings testifying and exposing the sociopaths’ tactics before the cameras. They’re boycotting and divesting from evil corporations that profit from bloodshed. They’re not shutting up or shutting down.

Now isn’t the time to remain silent even if they threaten us with jail time and fines. Now is the time to speak out and remind these state-operated terrorists that we will not take part in their level of cruelty. Aaron Bushnell and recently Matt Nelson are two Americans who called attention to this cruelty by sacrificing their lives in order to make genocide undeniable. Independent journalists such as Julian Assange and Richard Medhurst have fearlessly shined a light on these creators of terrorism. In Assange’s case he was punished severely with jail time without a conviction, and in Medhurst’s case he is being threatened with punishment.

Fighting evil can be painful, but so is a pager blowing up in your hand.

Which will you choose? Silence or fighting back against that level of cruelty we find ourselves at. Remember, these state-run terrorist operations won’t give you a choice when they add you to their hit list. They’ll just throw a switch, and that’ll be the end for you. Your choice should reflect this reality.

Related Articles and Other Interesting Links

Hind's Hall 2--all proceeds go to UNRWA https://twitter.com/macklemore/status/1837161865211687055

Israeli Strikes Kill at Least 492 in Lebanon https://news.antiwar.com/2024/09/23/israeli-strikes-kill-at-least-492-in-lebanon/

No one with a device who criticises Israel is safe… If Iran did to Israel what Israel did to Lebanon, we would be at war https://www.councilestatemedia.uk/p/if-iran-did-to-israel-what-israel

Israel’s attack on Lebanon using exploding electronics is part of a long history and strategy of targeting civilians https://mondoweiss.net/2024/09/israels-attack-on-lebanon-using-exploding-electronics-is-part-of-a-long-history-and-strategy-of-targeting-civilians/

Opening Pandora's Electronic Box https://denniskucinich.substack.com/p/opening-pandoras-electronic-box

Turning People Into Involuntary Suicide Bombers To Fight Terrorism https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/turning-people-into-involuntary-suicide

Israel's New Campaign of "Terrorism Warfare" Across Lebanon https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/israel-lebanon-hezbollah-pager-attack

Pagers Explode Across Lebanon in Apparent Attack on Hezbollah https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/09/17/world/israel-hamas-war-news

Israel bombed a residential block in Gaza. Then drones shot at anyone trying to rescue the survivors https://mondoweiss.net/2024/09/israel-bombed-a-residential-block-in-gaza-then-drones-shot-at-anyone-trying-to-rescue-the-survivors/

Israel Hates Truth https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/israel-hates-truth

Exploding pagers and radios: A terrifying violation of international law, say UN experts https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/09/exploding-pagers-and-radios-terrifying-violation-international-law-say-un

Israel Unleashes Hell On South Lebanon With Giant Mystery Bomb As War Escalates https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/idf-says-180-targets-eliminated-southern-lebanon-us-lauds-good-outcome-beirut-strike

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UN experts warn international order on a knife’s edge, urge States to comply with ICJ Advisory Opinion https://www.ohchr.org/en/statements/2024/09/un-experts-warn-international-order-knifes-edge-urge-states-comply-icj-advisory

U.S. fears Israeli finance minister will topple Palestinian banks https://www.axios.com/2024/09/20/israel-palestinian-bank-us-economic-collapse-concerns

On War Crimes And Western Hypocrisy https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/on-war-crimes-and-western-hypocrisy

Pagers Across Lebanon Explode In Cyberattack! (& much more) https://www.youtube.com/live/6BjA_0h8Mjs

"Hand Restraints and Black Out Goggles": Biden Administration Plans for Migrants Held at Guantanamo Bay Revealed https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/hand-restraints-and-black-out-goggles

Israel Has Killed 8% of Gaza's Population – the Equivalent of 26 Million Americans. https://stevendonziger.substack.com/p/israel-has-killed-8-of-gazas-population

The Real Election Meddling Will Happen Right Out In The Open https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/the-real-election-meddling-will-happen

Video: Lawmakers Tap Expense Accounts, Use Taxpayer Money for Reelection Ads https://www.leefang.com/p/video-lawmakers-tap-expense-accounts

World demands end to Israel's illegal occupation of Palestine, in landslide UN vote https://geopoliticaleconomy.substack.com/p/end-israel-occupation-palestine-un-vote

Europe Prepares For Hot War With Russia, US Readies For Hot War With China https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/europe-prepares-for-hot-war-with

CEO Pay Has Risen 1,085% Since 1978, But for Workers? Just 24% https://scheerpost.com/2024/09/21/ceo-pay-has-risen-1085-since-1978-but-for-workers-just-24/

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