Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal

This week began on Monday with the release of Israeli hostages. Joy marred by loss, sorrow, the memories of those who were killed on 7 October, the Israeli soldiers wounded and killed in Gaza, the hostages returned earlier, and those hostages whose remains have yet to be returned for proper burial. A time of joy and sorrow for Palestinians, too. Their horrific suffering, and the wasteland that Gaza has become, is now eyed by real estate investors.

I had difficulty watching Trump meeting with hostage families, addressing Israel’s Knesset. Then the scenes from the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh― the queue of world leaders shaking Trump’s hand, then standing behind him as he spoke. In the words of one diplomat, “It was a very bizarre day… Just the show, the speech with all these leaders lined up, it was crazy,”

A peace agreement or a fragile cease-fire? To whom did the day belong? Did it belong to the hostages and their families, or to a man, some, particularly the Christian Zionists, compare to Cyrus the Great? Theatrics, or diplomacy? Trump’s “PEACE 2025” signs reminded me of Bush’s “Mission Accomplished” banners.

There have been violent clashes in Gaza between Hamas and other factions vying to fill the political vacuum. Eight men, charged with collaborating with Israel and other criminal offences, were executed in the al Sabra neighborhood in western Gaza City. In a statement, the Palestinian Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) condemned the executions, stating these “…acts constitute grave legal and moral crimes that require urgent condemnation and accountability.” Our Cyrus the Great remained silent on these heinous crimes and violations of human rights.

Also on Monday, 2,900 pages of chats, shared among a dozen middle-aged and Gen Z Republicans, came to light. These chats, expressing pro-fascist sentiments, took place between early January and mid-August.  

Who are these men and women who find humor in degrading others while cloaking themselves in a swastika, a symbol adopted by the German Nationalist Party 105 years ago? What do their exchanges tell us about them? About ourselves as a nation?

The simple answer is that the Trumpian era is one in which antisemitism, racism, misogyny, and violent rhetoric are freely circulated among those who fail to see themselves as the heirs not of democratic liberalism, but seekers of their own personal gain as they drink from the bitter cup of totalitarianism. They are incapable of perceiving themselves as climbing on the shoulders of Hitler, Gӧring, Joseph Goebbels, Julius Streicher, Ernst Rӧhm, and other thugs. Yet, this is what they do.

We should not delude ourselves into believing these represent a small group of individuals. The fact is, their attitudes and language represent only a minor portion of what is being said today, both in private and public. The views they hold, and the rhetoric, often thinly disguised, is articulated by members of the administration.

White House spokesperson Liz Huston rejects the suggestion that Trump’s rhetoric either influences or supports the language of these young people. She states, “Only an activist, left-wing reporter would desperately try to tie President Trump into a story about a random group chat he has no affiliation with, while failing to mention the dangerous smears coming from Democrat politicians who have fantasized about murdering their opponent and called Republicans Nazis and Fascists,” she said. “No one has been subjected to more vicious rhetoric and violence than President Trump and his supporters.”

Huston’s statement is interesting for what it fails to say; absent is a denunciation. New York State Senate Minority Leader Robert Ortt condemned these people. “I was shocked and disgusted to learn about the racist, anti-Semitic, and misogynistic comments attributed to members of the New York State Young Republicans. This behavior is indefensible and has no place in our party or anywhere in public life.” Why couldn’t Huston and others in the White House say this?

On Tuesday, Cyrus the Great announced a $20 billion bailout for Argentina. The amount was increased to $40 billion on Thursday. The beneficiary is the dictatorship of Javier Milie, a close Trump ally. Other beneficiaries are fund investors, including Black Rock, Pimco, and Fidelity. The losers are Argentinians who have watched their economy collapse along with their freedom. The bailout comes at a time when American farmers require assistance following the loss of their market for soybeans. China purchased 50% of the U.S. soybean crop in 2023 and 2024, but halted its purchase due to the trade war. Argentina now sells tens of thousands of dollars worth of soybeans to China.

A dinner was held on Wednesday in the White House East Room by Cyrus the Great to express his gratitude to business leaders for the “tremendous amounts of money” they had pledged for his project of constructing a ballroom addition on the White House. This has raised ethical concerns.    

On Thursday, President Trump spoke for two-and-a-half hours with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. A friendly conversation, complete with flattery for Trump’s Gaza “peace agreement,” on the eve of President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine’s White House meeting. Putin agreed to meet with Trump in Budapest. Meantime, the war grinds on. Russia pounds Ukrainian cities and its energy infrastructure. Will Putin and Trump discuss the prospects of Russian-American business deals? Will this be more theatrics? Will Trump finally conclude that the people of Ukraine are the victims of Russian aggression?    

Throughout the week, U.S. citizens and immigrants were being tear-gassed, harassed, and arrested. Military personnel were being deployed to American cities. The CIA was authorized to conduct covert operations in Venezuela. At the same time, B-52 bombers, helicopters, and drones flew close to Venezuelan waters where our Navy sails to “keep watch.” The Alaskan village of Kipnuk, home to 970 Yup’ik speaking Indigenous Alaskan people, was destroyed by Typhoon Halong. The Trump administration cancelled a $20 million EPA Flood Protection Grant to address flood issues in the area.

Our Cyrus the Great has had a busy week, but at least he spared himself the responsibility of negotiating the reopening of the Federal government. He does not need to concern himself with healthcare for Americans. After all, performing theatrics on the global stage offers more gratification, rewarding his endless need for attention.