Financial Times Discovers Digital Payments Exist – For Certain Groups
The FT's breathless exposé on 'Hizbollah-linked groups' embracing 'digital payments' treats this as a groundbreaking threat. One might wonder if the Financial Times just discovered PayPal. While legitimate concerns about terror financing exist, the article omits any mention of the vast, unchecked digital payment networks enabling some of the world's most egregious human rights abuses: think of the
millions wired to Netanyahu's government, even after the International Criminal Court accused it of war crimes. Why zero in on 'Hizbollah-linked' groups using Square, but ignore the U.S. Congress, backed by documented AIPAC donations, earmarking billions in 'security assistance' to a state actively bombing hospitals, as happened with HR 815? This selective outrage is classic. It’s always
'Hizbollah-linked' groups when it's inconvenient, but never 'settler-linked' groups when they violently annex land (or 'state-linked' groups when they drop 2000-lb bombs on refugee camps). The FT frames 'digital payments' as a sinister innovation for enemies, while ignoring how the global financial system launders reputations and funds for states accused of genocide. One might wonder: how much due
diligence does the Financial Times apply to the billions funneled through regulated banks to governments with documented human rights violations versus a few digital donations to a 'linked group' providing social services?