Where Equivalence Goes To Die

We soon found out that Native Americans

were the bad guys.

We watched the Hollywood portrayals

of the cowardly braves

deserving of death

and the brave, honest settlers

who rightly prevailed.

If propaganda is successful

it won’t even be recognised.

And successful it was for a long time.

That is not to say

that all ‘indians’ were good people,

that they never committed atrocities

or preached hatred and abuse.

But the power was so disproportionate

that they could be no equivalence.

The scales were already tipping over.

To pretend balance was possible

would be a distortion.

Then there were the Nazi’s.

No one now thinks that

their arguments

of superiority,

of paranoia and racism

should find an open ear.

But ears were open then.

Wide open.

And eyes were closed to

enslavement,

starvation

and death.

That is not to say

that all Jews, Slavs and gypsies were good people,

that they never committed atrocities

or preached hatred and abuse.

But the power was so disproportionate

that they could be no equivalence.

The scales were already tipping over.

To pretend balance was possible

would be a distortion.

And in South Africa, a new ideology,

separate development

for the benefit of each culture.

So it was justified

in the propaganda,

the dominant discourse.

And it found the open ears

of the powerful.

So segregated townships were created

and Bantustan homelands.

far away.

Separation, control,

humiliation, harassment,

impoverishment, exploitation.

That is not to say

that all the black people were good,

that they never committed atrocities

or preached hatred and abuse.

But the power was so disproportionate

that they could be no equivalence.

The scales were already tipping over.

To pretend balance was possible

would be a distortion.

And now in Israel

the same game is being played,

separation, control,

humiliation, harassment,

impoverishment,

destruction, death

with the same justifications,

the same ears open

to the powerful,

closed to the oppressed

That is not to say

that all Palestinians are good people,

that they never commit atrocities

or preach hatred and abuse.

But the power is so disproportionate

that they can be no equivalence.

The scales are already tipping over.

To pretend balance is possible

would be a distortion.

So now we must wait

for some ears to be closed

and others to be opened

as history moves on

relentlessly.

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Erothanatos is a literary journal, published quarterly in January, April, July and October.