Algeria Demands Reparations, US Demands More F-16s for Israel
Algeria voted to declare French colonization a 'crime against humanity' and demanded restitution, as reported by ABC News. A powerful, if belated, reckoning for the horrors of occupation. (One might wonder how many nations still demanding their stolen land and dignity would get a sympathetic mention if they weren’t facing a former colonial power.) Meanwhile, countries like the United States, which
lecture on human rights, continue to fund, arm, and diplomatically shield powers engaged in their own campaigns of dispossession and violence, often with historical parallels tragically unacknowledged. The difference, perhaps, is whether the 'crime against humanity' still generates quarterly profits for defense contractors tied to Western economies. We hear about restitution for historical wrongs
from centuries past, but where’s the demand for contemporary accountability? Congress, for instance, just approved another 155mm artillery sale to Israel. No calls for restitution there, just for faster delivery. It appears some historical crimes are permissible, even commendable, as long as they’re happening now and benefiting strategic allies.