The Other Problem With Not Helping an Entire People Being Murdered in a Genocide

Published on Oct 5, 2025, filed under misc, advocacy. (Share this on Mastodon or Bluesky?)

Many political leaders in Europe and the entire political leadership in America act as if they’re fine with the Israeli genocide against the Palestinians.

In the anti-genocide part of the world, much is being said about that.

But there’s something not called out often, something uncanny about this ease of not helping a people in distress. Those who refuse to help seem to forget something important:

Without consistency in our stopping of genocides, there can also be no consistency in us expecting anyone to come to others’ and our own help, should we need it.

The inaction gives the impression that we as Europeans and Americans are quite sure about us never being mass-murdered; that no country, not even one like Israel ^*, would kill Europeans or Americans at scale. Today, that may even appear laughable, especially to Americans.

And so we tolerate genocides.

Worse, we don’t only do that, we effectively support genocides like the genocide on the Palestinians. With that, Europe and America are shedding their empathy; and through that, their humanity; and ultimately, all sympathy.

It seems that if it’s not Europeans or Americans who commit a genocide—then they don’t stop it, either. This is primitive, this is pathetic, and what we’re witnessing in consequence is another incredibly dark hour of Western civilization.

I really wish that we, as civilians and regular citizens, didn’t need to write about topics like this (let alone travel into war zones to deliver aid). But we’re living through several crises, including a massive crisis of leadership, making this a necessity, making this our responsibility. Please speak up—and keep speaking up—as well.

^* This isn’t referring to Israel killing Europeans or Americans (which “happens”), but to the facts that Israel owns weapons of mass destruction and consistently violates, and therefore doesn’t respect, international law. Ironically, the U.S. have intervened and invaded countries for lesser reasons than that.

About Me

I’m Jens (long: Jens Oliver Meiert), and I’m a web developer, manager, and author. I’ve been working as a technical lead and engineering manager for companies you’ve never heard of and companies you use every day, I’m an occasional contributor to web standards (like HTML, CSS, WCAG), and I write and review books for O’Reilly and Frontend Dogma.

I love trying things, not only in web development and engineering management, but also in other areas like philosophy. Here on meiert.com I share some of my experiences and views. (I value you being critical, interpreting charitably, and giving feedback.)