Free State with Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning Swimming song - Staying afloat against impossible odds
Jan 1, 2026
Omar El Akkad, a novelist and journalist renowned for his incisive writings on war and displacement, delves into the complexities of Western complicity regarding Gaza. He discusses the dissonance between witnessing atrocities and official narratives, highlighting the moral costs of acknowledging wrongdoing. The conversation tackles euphemistic language that obscures brutality and critiques performative liberalism. El Akkad also emphasizes the role of literature in confronting horrors and expresses hope in the courage of younger generations to demand meaningful change.
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Seeing Versus Being Told
- Omar El Akkad highlights the moral dissonance when people witness atrocities yet are told their empathy is wrong.
- Visual evidence of suffering clashes with official narratives, creating widespread cognitive dissonance.
A Fist On The Signing Table
- At a Dublin signing a man slammed his fist and declared Ireland will never stop supporting Palestine.
- El Akkad used the moment to show public solidarity can be fierce and genuine.
Language Shields Empire
- El Akkad argues empire preserves itself through euphemistic language that normalizes killing.
- That linguistic fog protects liberal middle classes who prefer comforting ambiguity to moral clarity.
