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Culture War Roundup for the week of July 13, 2026

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The distinction I was driving at is not whether you consider apartheid SA illegal, but whether considered it apartheid and referred to it as such.

But besides that, what meaning does the term 'unjust' have if we don't mean to eradicate that which is 'unjust'? How is this functionally any different from calling something a different word that conveys the same meaning; that the thing is bad and has to change? Is there any reason you would prefer referring to Israel as the unjust state of Israel rather than calling it apartheid or that its illegally occupying Palestinians?

You not seeing any place is not equivocal to there not being any place, as far as I'm concerned.

The distinction I was driving at is not whether you consider apartheid SA illegal, but whether considered it apartheid and referred to it as such.

Ah. Yes, by definition, what happened in South Africa is "apartheid." It included a lot of other bad things besides their election laws; if they'd just given black people citizenship of their "homelands" and denied them the vote, that wouldn't have been anywhere near as bad as what actually happened.

But besides that, what meaning does the term 'unjust' have if we don't mean to eradicate that which is 'unjust'?

Indeed: injustice should be undone, insofar as there is a way to undo it without worse injustice.

How is this functionally any different from calling something a different word that conveys the same meaning; that the thing is bad and has to change?

"Illegal under international law" does not in fact clearly convey that to me, and I think to many other people. My first thought is "oh; is this one of the actually-important points of international law, or the many more points that bear zero moral weight?"

Is there any reason you would prefer referring to Israel as the unjust state of Israel rather than calling it apartheid or that its illegally occupying Palestinians?

Yes: you would correctly be describing what you're claiming is happening and why you're claiming it's bad.

You not seeing any place is not equivocal to there not being any place, as far as I'm concerned.

Well, it is for me.

South Africa also included a lot of things Israel is doing, hence why both are apartheid.

The international law that is being violated when Israel has been occupying a people for 60 years is clearly one of the bad ones. People obviously don't refer to it as a benign thing. The fact that you think that many other people imagine that violations of international law regarding a conflict zone are of zero moral weight is, pardon the term, delusional. Especially considering how known and unpopular Israel is in this conflict.

I don't see why 'unjust' would be more descriptive than 'apartheid' or 'illegal occupation'. In fact it sounds exactly the opposite. The other two are more descriptive in what exactly is being done that is unjust.

Well, it is for me.

Then you're just wrong.