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‘Betrayal of feminism’ — Fatima Bhutto on Kamala Harris’ Gaza stance, US elections

‘Betrayal of feminism’ — Fatima Bhutto on Kamala Harris’ Gaza stance, US elections

The author said there was no difference between Democrats and Republicans save for "crudeness and decorum".
08 Nov, 2024

Author and activist Fatima Bhutto believes US Vice President Kamala Harris’ stance on Gaza, in comparison to her pro-choice policy during her campaign for the US presidential elections, was “an absolute betrayal of feminism”.

During a recent appearance on independent news programme Democracy Now, Bhutto highlighted that 70 per cent of people killed by Israel and “by America because it’s American bombs and American diplomatic cover that allows this slaughter to continue unabated”, were women and children.

“For Kamala Harris to come out and talk repeatedly about abortion — and I say this as someone who is pro-choice, who has always been pro-choice — was not just macabre, but it’s obscene. It’s an absolute betrayal of feminism, because feminism is about liberation. It’s not about termination. And it’s about protecting women at their most vulnerable and at their most frightened. And there was no sign of that.”

She also criticised Harris’ vacuousness in bringing out celebrities such as Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce and others to talk about being a mother, while mothers in Gaza were losing their husbands and children. According to the author, “It was not just tone deaf, it seemed to have a certain hostility, a certain contempt for the suffering that the rest of us have been watching.”

Bhutto maintained that there was also a lot of toxic masculinity showcased during Harris’ campaign, emphasising that one didn’t need to be a man to practice toxic masculinity.

“I watched her laugh with Oprah as she spoke about shooting someone who might enter her house with a gun, and giggling and saying her PR team may not like that, but she would kill them. […] You don’t need to be white to practice white supremacy, as we’ve seen very clearly from this election cycle.”

‘Total racism’ — Ukraine vs Gaza

Bhutto said the reaction of the West to the war in Ukraine compared to the Israeli assault on Gaza was “total racism” because Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was “spoken about with a sort of hero worship [and] Ukrainian resisters to Russia’s invasion are valorised.”

“But Palestinians are painted as terrorists, are dehumanised to such an extent. You know, we saw that dehumanisation from the mouths of Bill Clinton no less, from the mouths of Kamala Harris, who interrupted somebody speaking out against the genocide, and saying, ‘I am speaking.’ What is more toxically masculine than that?”

She also called out the concerted crackdown on US universities where college students were protesting Israeli atrocities, including her own alma mater of Barnard College where the New York Police Department was summoned and fired live ammunition at the students.

Bhutto continued that a response this extreme did not occur during protests against the South African apartheid or the Vietnam War.

“America and the West, who have been fighting Muslim countries for the last 25, 30 years, see that as acceptable to do so. Our deaths are acceptable to them, and genocide is not a red line.”

She maintained that the American working class was “absolutely ignored” as they watched one administration after another give “billions and billions of dollars to Ukraine, while they have no relief at home […] and after Ukraine, they saw billions go to Israel in the same way, while they get, frankly, nothing.”

‘Macabre campaign’ — Harris vs Trump

Talking about the Democratic presidential candidate, who lost to the Republican candidate, former US president Donald Trump, Bhutto said the Democrats ran an “incredibly weak and actually macabre campaign”.

“Kamala Harris describe[d] her politics as one of joy as she promised the most lethal military in the world, talking about women’s rights in America, essentially focusing those rights on the right to termination, while the rest of the world has watched women slaughtered in Gaza.”

Bhutto said it was very curious that the Democrats believed a winning strategy was Beyonce or an endorsement from Taylor Swift in defeating “Trump, who was speaking to people, who was speaking against wars. You know, whether we believe him or not, it was a marked difference from what Kamala Harris was saying and was not saying.”

She emphasised that Trump had been a maligning force when it came to Palestine and other causes, however, she argued that there wasn’t much difference between what the two administrations or parties do.

“The difference is that Trump doesn’t have the gloss and the charisma of an Obama […] I can’t even say that Biden has charisma, but certainly the gloss. Trump says it. They do it. The difference — I can’t really tell the difference anymore.”

The Runaways author said the Biden administration sent over 500 shipments of arms to Israel, betraying America’s own laws, “the fact that they are not allowed to export weapons of war to a country committing gross violations of human rights”.

She highlighted former president Clinton’s speech in Michigan during the Harris campaign where he told Muslims “they should stop killing Israelis and that Jews were there before them […] It was an utterly contemptuous speech. So, what is the difference?”

Bhutto added that Democratic senator Bernie Sanders, in an op-ed article, warned people that the climate crisis would exacerbate under Trump, however, Israel’s emission in the first five months of their attack on Gaza released more planet-warming gases in to the atmosphere than 20 of the world’s most climate vulnerable nations release in a year.

“I don’t quite see that there’s a difference between what Democrats allow and what Trump brags about. I think it’s just a question of crudeness and decorum and politeness. One has it, and one doesn’t.”

She said Trump was much clearer for the rest of the world because he did what he said, whereas people were “gaslit and lied to by [US Secretary of State] Antony Blinken on a daily basis now since October 7.”

According to Bhutto, every time US representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Harris spoke about a ceasefire in Gaza, there was more carnage, more massacres and Israel committing crimes with total impunity.

“It wasn’t under Trump that Israel killed more journalists than have ever been killed in any recorded conflict. It’s under Biden that Israel has killed more UN workers than have ever been killed in the UN’s history. So, I’m not sure there’s a difference.”

She said that Harris lost 14 million votes from Biden’s win in 2020 and those votes didn’t come out for the Democrats. “Some may have migrated to Trump, some may have gone to third parties, but 14 million just didn’t go anywhere.”

Comments

Ahsan Gul Nov 08, 2024 04:32pm
Your family, Father Zardari and Bilawal are close friends of Kamala, Clinton. You people are a curse for Pakistan
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Peace For All Nov 08, 2024 04:46pm
So sad and very true, great article. killing of innocent people and children’s in Gaza, Ukraine, Israel or anywhere on earth should not happened at all. Please end this war now. Say No to war and say Yes to peace. Thanks to all.
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Amir Shah Nov 08, 2024 05:19pm
Very clear and to the point analysis, so proud you real Ms Bhutto
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Gulabo Nov 08, 2024 05:44pm
Kamala is useless
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Bingo Nov 08, 2024 05:57pm
Just for a moment introspect yourself instead of blaming entire world.
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Vasu Nov 08, 2024 06:00pm
Paint everything with the famous feminism brush.
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Sarwar Mahmood Nov 08, 2024 06:11pm
Very well written and explained with facts and examples. Keep that analytical mind going. We all need balanced journalism and views.
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Sadaf Nov 08, 2024 06:37pm
Fatima Bhutto is wise beyond her time and a pioneer close to our own Chomsky. She has the acute observation of a true socialist view that Chomsky has portrayed. Thank you.
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Gurpreet Singh Nov 08, 2024 07:35pm
Why is she always poking her nose where it doesn’t belong? For someone who claims to be a human rights advocate, why doesn’t she ever speak for the rights of Baloch, Pashtuns and others in her own country. As for the US election, the American people have spoken loud & clear — we are pro-America, pro-Trump & pro-Israel.
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Hashim Syed Nov 08, 2024 07:45pm
A bhutto speaking about atrocities meanwhile majority of the Sindh under their rule still continues to live in modern-day slavery, extreme poverty and no democratic rights. How ignorant she has to be to talk about Palestine while she never spoke against her own family. These elite liberals are nothing but hypocrites of the worse kind.
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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad Nov 08, 2024 08:20pm
Once again, Fatima Bhutto is 100 percent right.
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Que Nov 08, 2024 08:20pm
Very good article! Please write more. Thank you!
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Nadeem Shah Nov 08, 2024 08:45pm
Very well said, we're lucky to have such smart people. Ms Bhutto should be our FM. Would love to see that.
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Mian Haq Nov 08, 2024 09:20pm
Very comprehensive and to the point analysis. Blood is thicker than water, preach what you believe in.
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Kamran Khan Nov 08, 2024 09:21pm
Fatima speaks so well . Always impressed by how articulate she is.
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Asad Yousuf Nov 08, 2024 10:36pm
I understand your perspective, but I respectfully disagree. It seems there may be some misunderstanding of the context. While it's true that abortion rights are not directly equated to the life of an existing child, the right to abortion is nonetheless critical to the well-being and rights of others. Regarding the situation in Gaza, it seems that neither party has taken meaningful action, and this raises questions. It might be more constructive to focus on why Muslim countries, in particular, are not doing more to address the crisis there
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Khan Nov 08, 2024 11:46pm
Brave words of a brave woman
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Laila Nov 09, 2024 02:26am
The only Bhuttos, I like, and who have integrity, are Fatima and her brother. Her humanitarian work and authorship don't get enough credit or appreciation or attention, though.
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Humayun Khan Nov 09, 2024 02:37am
Overall a good article mainly looking through the lens of Gaza conflict and the double standards of democratic party causing their failure to prevail in the election 2024. However; the gaza conflict and the role of or not there of the ruling democratic party is a very very small reason of their faiure to maintain the control of the White House in my opinion. The bigger, more important and prevelant issues causing this election outcome perhaps are: Poor current US economy, inflation, rising cost of living and the rise of global nationalistic movements from Brexit in Europe to BJP shenanigans in Hindustan. Regarding nationalistic sentiments.......One day before the elections I was flabergasted to hear Trump warning his (all white) supporters that if he doesnt get elected they (his suuporters) will become second class citizens!! Unfortunately, just like any third world or developing country.....dog whistles, fear mongering and demagoguery is well and alive in politics also here in the USA!
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Aftab,NJ Nov 09, 2024 08:19am
Good to see a Bhutto who makes sense.
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Name Nov 09, 2024 11:09am
@ Hashim Syed do you not follow Pakistani politics at all? She's spoken against her family a lot, especially the PPP.
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Zackch Nov 09, 2024 11:44am
Bulk of casualties in any war is civilians. That’s a given. Instead work on stopping the madness. It was initially as simple as releasing the hostages. But no one is calling out the political class of Palestine. Why?
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Ahmad Nov 09, 2024 11:51am
@Ahsan Gul she is the daughter of Mir Murtaza Bhutto, who was assassinated during the Benazir-Zardari government. She has nothing to do with the PPP or that branch of the familly.
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Iqbal Ahmad Khan Nov 09, 2024 12:21pm
The democrats have betrayed themselves and their supporters. It is therefore, not surprising that as a protest 14 million deserted them costing the party the elections and the world sleeplessness. Fatima Bhutto so eloquently shines the light on the democratic leaderships shortcomings.
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M.Safwan Nov 09, 2024 12:57pm
She is not Zardari's daughter or Bilawal's sister. She is against their dirty politics.
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Hamed Nov 09, 2024 01:38pm
The west created racism and legalised their crimnalism!!
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Laila Nov 10, 2024 02:40am
@Ahsan Gul @Hashim Syed Oh dear, imagine being so triggered by just the name 'Bhutto' that you spoke without even informing yourself of the facts. You must both not live in Pakistan if you don't know that well known, author and activist, Fatima Bhutto has long been a staunch critic of her own family. She (and her brother) has absolutely nothing to do with her family, the Zardaris or cousins. Next time you want to criticise somebody or throw around words like liberals, elite and hypocrites, at least get the facts straight. Also Fatima Bhutto is daughter of assassinated, Murtaza Bhutto, and not Asif Ali Zardari.
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Munzer Samad Nov 10, 2024 03:38am
Great article, very unfortunate what has been happening as the saying goes “Might is right” Engaging in discussions around this concept can help foster a deeper understanding of justice, ethics, and the balance between power and responsibility. She calls for systemic reforms to promote a more just and equitable society.
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