Skip to main content

"I’m sitting on the side that’s launching bombs’: author Omar El Akkad on the hypocrisy of the west." Interview of Omer El Akkad by Noa Yachot. TheGuardian.

 


Here’s a detailed breakdown of Omar El Akkad’s views from his Guardian interview, where he critiques the hypocrisy of the West, particularly in the context of the Gaza war, the U.S. role in global conflicts, and the moral failures of Western liberalism.

1. Disillusionment with the "Free World"

  • Early Idealization of the West:
    • As a child growing up in Egypt and Qatar, El Akkad admired Western freedoms—such as access to uncensored books and music.
    • Moving to Canada and later the U.S., he saw the West as a land of opportunity and values.
  • Cracks in the Illusion:
    • Despite covering major conflicts (Afghanistan, Guantánamo, the Arab uprisings), he still believed in America’s moral foundation.
    • The Gaza war shattered this belief, making him feel personally complicit in Western-supported atrocities.

2. The Gaza War as the Breaking Point

  • "Sitting on the launching side of the bombs":
    • El Akkad recognizes that his taxpayer money funds Israel’s war in Gaza, making him complicit.
    • Unlike past conflicts he covered, the real-time nature of the Gaza war made it impossible to look away.
  • Three Reasons for His Crisis of Faith:
    1. Immediacy: The war unfolded live on social media, with images of children who were later confirmed dead.
    2. Scale: The magnitude of destruction was beyond what he had seen before.
    3. Cowardice (His Own): He admits he ignored warning signs and justified past U.S. actions as anomalies, but Gaza made that impossible.

3. Hypocrisy of Western Liberalism

  • Moral Bankruptcy of Western Political Leaders:
    • The war in Gaza revealed that Western liberalism is hollow, prioritizing comfort over true moral action.
    • He criticizes leaders who preach human rights while funding wars and ignoring mass suffering.
  • Democrats’ Performative Politics:
    • The Democratic Party talks about existential threats (Trump, climate change) but does little to meaningfully address them.
    • Biden’s administration postures as progressive while actively supporting war and oppression.
  • Contrast with Trump and the Right:
    • While Trump is extreme, his actions align more closely with his rhetoric.
    • The Democratic Party, however, widens the gap between its "performance" and "reality."

4. The U.S. War on Terror and Its Parallels to Gaza

  • Previous Reporting on U.S. Wars:
    • He covered Afghanistan, Guantánamo, and the post-9/11 era but still believed in America’s "core goodness."
    • Thought U.S. actions were deviations from a fundamentally sound system.
  • Why Gaza is Different:
    • Unlike the "War on Terror," Gaza’s destruction is ongoing and visible in real time.
    • The global response—either silent, complicit, or justifying violence—makes it impossible to believe in Western moral leadership.

5. The Collapse of the American System

  • Trump is Not the Biggest Threat:
    • El Akkad sees the real problem as systemic: America is built on "endless taking"—of land, resources, and lives.
    • Trump is merely a symptom of a deeper issue; his extremism was once fringe but is now mainstream.
  • The System is Breaking Under Its Own Myths:
    • The U.S. political structure can no longer sustain its contradictions.
    • Both major parties are failing: one (Republicans) embraces extremism, while the other (Democrats) offers weak resistance.

6. The Role of Complacent Liberals

  • The Silent Majority’s Responsibility:
    • Many liberals sympathize with Palestinian suffering but refuse to act.
    • Fear of backlash or loss of privilege stops them from speaking out.
  • Western Institutions Are Failing:
    • Academia, media, and political structures have proven to be complicit in oppression.
    • The West claims to champion democracy and human rights but applies those values selectively.

7. Hope in Grassroots Resistance

  • Despite Everything, There is Hope:
    • His book is not just an indictment but a recognition of individual courage.
    • Examples of resistance:
      • Doctors risking their lives to save people in Gaza.
      • Dock workers refusing to load weapons onto ships.
      • University students rejecting privilege to protest injustice.
  • The Future of Change Lies in the People:
    • Institutional reform may be hopeless, but grassroots movements offer real opposition.
    • He sees ordinary people taking meaningful action, which gives him hope.

8. Final Takeaways

  • The Gaza war exposed the deep hypocrisy of Western liberalism and permanently severed El Akkad’s belief in the moral superiority of the West.
  • The U.S. government, particularly under Democratic leadership, engages in performative politics—preaching justice while funding war.
  • The American system is collapsing, not because of Trump alone, but because of its insatiable nature and reliance on violence.
  • While institutions fail, individual acts of resistance prove that people can still fight for justice.
  • The future depends on whether liberals will move beyond passive sympathy and take real action.

Conclusion

El Akkad’s latest work is not just a critique of America’s hypocrisy but a call for moral clarity. He argues that people must either accept their complicity in systemic violence or take a stand—because the West’s moral posturing is no longer sustainable.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When Crusaders Go Digital: Old Wars, New Costumes, Same Bloodlust

History, it seems, has developed a dark sense of humor. After centuries of reflection, scholarship, and solemn declarations of “never again,” we now find elected officials—armed not with swords but with AI filters —cosplaying as Crusaders . Progress , apparently, means upgrading from iron armor to algorithmic propaganda. Let’s begin where this story actually starts—not in Washington, not in Tel Aviv, but nearly a thousand years ago, when Europe launched what it called “holy wars.” ⚔️ The Original Crusades: A Brief Reminder The Crusades (1095–1291) were not a single war but a series of campaigns initiated after Pope Urban II’s call at Clermont in 1095. His message was simple and devastatingly effective: reclaim Jerusalem, and God will reward you. What followed was not a clean clash of armies, but waves of violence that engulfed entire regions—from France and Germany through Hungary, into Byzantium, Antioch, and Palestine. Historians caution that medieval records are fragmented, but acro...
Post a Comment
Read more

When the System Is Questioned by Its Own Guardians. A Warning Israel Can’t Dismiss.

  When the Warning Comes From Within There are moments in history when criticism from the outside can be dismissed—but when it comes from within, it becomes something far more dangerous: a mirror. That is what makes the recent letter by the The London Initiative so unsettling. Jewish philanthropists. Rabbis. Community leaders. Not critics of Israel—but voices shaped by it—now warning Isaac Herzog that something has gone terribly wrong. Their charge is stark: extremist settler violence is no longer fringe— it is becoming normalized. The Numbers That Refuse to Stay Quiet This is not rhetoric. It is data. Israeli military data (reported by Haaretz ) shows settler attacks rose by 25% in 2025 845 attacks in 2025 alone , injuring around 200 Palestinians Since October 2023: over 1,700 recorded settler attacks Early 2026: an average of 4 incidents per day And according to the United Nations and field reporting: Hundreds of Palestinians injured already in 2026 Entire ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Morality Compass? Or a Weapon of Convenience

There is something almost poetic about the sudden rediscovery of morality in war. Not morality itself. Not restraint. But the language of it. Because today, we are told—once again—that there are limits. That civilians matter. That infrastructure must not be touched. And yet, at the very same moment, Donald Trump openly threatens to “ obliterate” Iran’s infrastructure —including electric grids and water desalination plants , the very systems that keep millions alive. Water. Electricity. The basic architecture of survival . Not hidden in classified documents. Not whispered behind closed doors. But declared—casually, publicly, almost theatrically. So let’s ask again: Where exactly is this moral compass? Because if destroying water systems—knowing it will deprive civilians of drinking water—is not crossing a line, then perhaps the line was never there. Legal experts are not confused about this. Targeting such infrastructure is widely considered prohibited under internatio...
Post a Comment
Read more

The War That Wins on Paper—and Bleeds in Reality

  The War That Always Works—Until It Doesn’t There is a certain elegance to modern war. Not the destruction. Not the bodies. But the presentation . The language is always impeccable: “ Strategic degradation” “Precision targeting” “Limited objectives” It almost sounds like a policy workshop — not the opening act of something that may consume an entire region. And once again, the script is being rehearsed. Iran is “weakened.” Its systems are “degraded.” Its options are “limited.” And somewhere between these carefully chosen words, a very old idea quietly returns: Maybe this time, we finish it. Chapter One: The Seduction of Air Power Airstrikes are irresistible. They promise control without commitment. Dominance without vulnerability. Victory without presence. You can bomb a country… without ever having to meet it . No dialects to understand. No terrain to navigate. No জনগোষ্ঠী to confront. Just coordinates. And for a brief moment— it feels like war ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Bibi: King, Godfather, and Master of Everything—Except Morality

  Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyahu doesn’t just do politics—he performs it. According to a childhood friend: “Bibi told me one day that Yair can replace him… He really thinks it’s like a kingdom.” Ah yes, the crown of Israel is apparently hereditary, and the heir is already chosen. Why bother with democracy when you can run a dynasty? The man’s ego deserves its own zip code. A former communications chief spills the truth: “…many leaders make mistakes after success, when they start to believe they are untouchable… Benjamin Netanyahu started believing what his wife has been telling him for years: ‘You’re the one!’” Congratulations, Bibi—you’ve been knighted by your own echo chamber. Confidence? Sure. Arrogance that poisons a nation? Absolutely. And then there’s the truth. Or whatever version of it suits the day. One critic sums it up perfectly: “Bibi lies left and right… lying, for him, is not something bad.” If lying were an Olympic sport, Netanyahu would have more gold than Israel ...
Post a Comment
Read more