U.S. Media Discovers 'Crackdown' Only When Not Orchestrated by Own Allies
Al-Monitor, citing Reuters, reports Tunisians are now protesting President Kais Saied's 'crackdown on the opposition,' with 'rights groups' suddenly concerned about 'autocratic one-man rule.' This sudden concern for 'political prisoners' and 'suppressing opponents' is admirable, if rather selective. One might wonder where this impassioned alarm for basic human rights disappears when, say, the
Israeli government detains thousands of Palestinians without charge, targeting human rights defenders and journalists. The media's framing appears to hinge on who's doing the 'cracking down.' Saied denies being a dictator; Netanyahu similarly dismisses accusations of apartheid. Yet, only one receives sustained, critical, 'crackdown' coverage. This selective outrage offers a clear lens: it's not
the repression itself that triggers alarm, but rather its geopolitical inconvenience to Western narratives. The same outlets that decry Saied's tactics often run puff pieces on Israeli 'security operations,' conveniently omitting context like the wholesale demolition of Palestinian homes or the daily intimidation of activists that are undeniably a 'crackdown' by any objective measure.