top labels I have been branded with in 2024.

I suppose this is one way to wrap up the year.

Good day, spectators,

I hope you had a good Christmas time if you celebrate it and a peaceful winding down to the year if you don’t. And, as we come to the end of 2024, I thought of something a bit funny and wanted to explore all of the colourful things I’ve been labelled since I started this magazine half a year ago.

antisemitic.

At this point, it’s probably easier to list the things that haven’t been called antisemitic during this particularly absurd period in history. Ireland, the Pope, Amnesty International, the United Nations, children’s drawings—all antisemitic. So it should come as no surprise that I, having written extensively about the Palestinian Genocide, have also been branded with this increasingly meaningless label.

there has never been a war in which 80% of the land was destroyed, 100% of the population was displaced, and 50% of the dead were children.

It’s a convenient slur for shutting down criticism of Israel, which seems to be the only country immune to critique in an era where pointing out human rights abuses is otherwise encouraged. In fact I have always been very pro Semitic, I am a great friend of the Palestinian people and write tirelessly about their plight.

pro-Putin.

This one is relatively new, cropping up as I began talking more openly and realistically about the war in Ukraine. Let’s face it: things aren’t going well for Ukraine, and the rhetoric in Western media is starting to reflect that. A recent Guardian poll shows rapidly declining European support for Ukraine’s ‘fight to the end’. No surprises there—anyone paying attention to what the Ukrainian military itself has been saying could tell you this was coming.

Ukraine has lost a third of its population since the start of Russia's invasion: what's next?

Ukraine is facing a manpower crisis, while Russia’s vast reserves can sustain a prolonged conflict. My opinion? Stop throwing meat into the grinder. Forcing the poor on both sides to slaughter each other in the name of geopolitical chess is barbaric.

It’s clear to me that Ukraine has been used—whether intentionally or not—as a tool to soften Russia’s military. If that was the goal, then congratulations to NATO but the cost, measured in human lives, is obscene.

commie.

Ah yes, the old reliable. Apparently, not crying over a health insurance CEO’s death and calling for a better system for everyone makes me a communist. To be honest, if caring about the working class—the vast majority of us on the planet—makes me a commie, then so be it. I’d rather be accused of wanting a fairer world than celebrated for defending the indefensible.

Jeff Bezos enjoys $600 million wedding while striking Amazon workers are dispersed by ice-cold flooding.

But let’s not forget that ‘commie’ is the insult of choice for people who think paying workers a living wage is the first step towards Stalinist gulags. Context matters, people.

traitor.

This one comes from all directions. Far-right Irish folks call me a traitor for not hating foreigners, while certain Americans fling it my way for daring to criticise the Empire. Apparently, standing firmly against imperialism and neo-colonialism makes me a traitor. To what, exactly? Good taste? Decorum? The way? Who knows.

What I do know is that the word ‘traitor’ has lost any meaningful edge. These days, it’s just shorthand for ‘person who thinks differently than I do’.

ever the beacon of benevolence, Europe prepares to deport Syrian refugees back to a hellish maelstrom.

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Whatever they call me; antisemitic, pro-Putin, commie, traitor—the spectacle isn’t going anywhere. Labels won’t stop me and actually, they’re proof we’re doing something right here. This magazine was founded with one purpose: to shine a light on the global stories mainstream media doesn’t want to touch. It’s about truth and accountability.

And as 2024 comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank all of you. In just six months, the spectacle has grown to nearly 3,000 subscribers. That’s an incredible feat, and it’s all thanks to you reading, sharing, and engaging with what I’ve been writing.

Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or joined somewhere along the way, thank you so much for supporting independent journalism. Now, more than ever, we need to rely on one another—not legacy media—to provide clarity.

Don’t stop watching. Keep reading, keep sharing and keep talking about the things they don’t want us to.

Here’s to another year of working together to bring truth in 2025!

Thank you for believing in the spectacle and helping it grow,

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To celebrate the end of a successful year, I am prolonging my Christmas subscriber offer and making it New Year’s offer!

Alternatively, if you enjoy my work and want to help support the Magazine in another way. You could buy me a sandwich.