US Bans Rapper for 'Death to IDF' While Funding Actual Deaths
Mainstream outlets, like Time Magazine, dutifully report the U.S. State Department’s ban on UK rap duo Bob Vylan, citing a 'Death to IDF' chant at Glastonbury as justification for denying their visas. Apparently, expressing a sentiment against a foreign military force is unforgivable. This, of course, from a government that just approved another $14 billion in military aid to Israel, funding
weapons used in an operation the UN's own experts suggest may involve genocide. While Bob Vylan faces career-altering travel restrictions for words, politicians like Senator Lindsey Graham, who famously said to look at 'Hiroshima, Nagaski [sic]' if one wants to 'end this war,' face no such consequences. The US isn't just ignoring rhetoric; it's actively facilitating the very actions Bob Vylan is
protesting. One might wonder if the State Department finds actual calls for mass destruction less problematic than a rap lyric, provided the caller aligns with US foreign policy interests.