Student Protests in Context: Vietnam to Israel-Palestine

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By Nick Licata

About five percent of college campuses are experiencing protests related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This is different from the ’60s when students were protesting the Vietnam War. The size and scope today is smaller. However, they follow the same arc of drifting from pursuing their initial objectives to having a few with extreme views and engaging in violence that captures the headlines.

-snip-

When I compare how student protests are unfolding now to the ’60s, I see that each reflects the growth of extremist beliefs and aggressive strategies.

-snip-

The loudest and most aggressive protestors against Israel’s invasion of Gaza ignore the advice of Ahmed Fouad Akhatib, a Gaza-born Palestinian Analyst. He criticizes those exercising “maximalist activism” as doing nothing positive. He recently tweeted: “Use your Western privilege to actually help Palestinian people and promote a pragmatic path forward by engaging Israeli and Jewish audiences.”

-snip-

Demonstrators now wave Palestine’s national flag. Critics wrongly accuse them of carrying the Hamas flag, which is different; it has no stripes and consists of white Arabic calligraphy on a green background.

https://www.postalley.org/2024/05/25/student-protests-in-context-vietnam-to-israel-palestine/

This is one of the most balanced analyses I've seen of the shit show in Gaza. There's no paywall so I encourage people to read the whole thing.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

1. "The size and scope today is smaller." ...

... as is the fact that nobody in the U.S. is getting drafted to go fight in Gaza. That difference might be significant.

[Walleye]

2. Also these people are all old enough to vote, that wasn't true in the Vietnam era