Notes on Assadism, Zionism, Fascism and Hope

This essay does not end like it begins. I considered dividing it in two but ultimately decided to keep it as is. It starts with a discussion of what Assadism sought to do with the Palestinian cause, and it then goes into a broader exploration of the normalisation of fascism in the West today with a focus on how pro-Israel apologia in the age of the Gaza genocide is accelerating it. Finally, I end on a somewhat hopeful note in which I argue for reclaiming public memory, which requires the collective.

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I'd like to address something that I’ve seen even good friends do, which is to concede that Assad apologists have ‘good politics on Palestine’ despite having horrible politics on Syria. It's a concess…