Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, and More
The past two weeks on Inkstick Media.
Happy Wednesday,
As we turn our eyes toward, “let’s circle back after the holidays,” season, we’ve also begun to reflect on the past year at Inkstick. We launched our first radio special, uncovered dwindling union jobs at the nation’s top defense contractors, and sued Northrop Grumman, y’all — it’s been a big one.
And that’s something we’re grateful to say we’ve been saying at Inkstick every year since our launch. While the media industry continues to (heartbreakingly) contract, we’re still out here scaling the walls, carving out a place for independent reporting on the life we all live amidst endless war. And we’re doing it because of you.
We know this time of year is tough and inflation isn’t helping matters a bit, but if you can spare it, please know how grateful we are for each and every one of your donations, big and small.
These past two weeks on Inkstick, your support has allowed us to delve into the possibility of the conflict in Israel broadening into a regional war, what a missing ship teaches us about Mexico’s growing militarization, the lingering impacts of nuclear weapons testing in the Marshall Islands, what AI might mean in the hands of domestic extremists, and Russia’s uncertain future.
And it’s allowed us to cover the ongoing tragedy in Gaza from the ground. We won’t stop.
Keep reading to explore those stories and more.
And if you’re not already, go ahead and give us a follow on Twitter, LinkedIn, Threads, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Happy Thanksgiving to our American friends — we’ll see you next week!
“Conflicted Memories: Georgia’s Fraught National Heritage Sites,” by Jack Beeching (Nov. 22)
The restoration of Georgia’s historic monuments has become a flashpoint in its still-simmering relations with Russia. Jack Beeching writes that, “If heritage is part of a nation’s story, then it can become a target; over 300 cultural sites have been damaged in Ukraine since the invasion began.”
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“Nuclear Film Heists and Heroes Make For Apathy on the Weapons Themselves,” by Farah Sonde (Nov. 22)
Farah Sonde, a Communications Associate at the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation who grew up watching both Hollywood and Bollywood films, asks, “If the only way to save the world is to be Tom Cruise, are the rest of us off the hook?”
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“America’s Forever Wars Have Yielded a 75,000% Increase in Terror Attacks in Africa,” Nick Turse (Nov. 21)
As the United States was beginning its Forever Wars in 2002 and 2003, the State Department counted a total of just nine terrorist attacks in Africa. This year, militant Islamist groups on that continent have, according to the Pentagon, already conducted 6,756 attacks. Let those numbers sink in.
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“War’s Tiniest Victims: Amid Gaza’s Turmoil, a Mother’s Love Prevails,” Mohammed Ali (Nov. 20)
The UN estimates that 50,000 pregnant women in #Gaza cannot access health services, and 5,500 will give birth this month. Our reporter on the ground who writes as "Mohammed Ali" to protect his identity continues to file intimate dispatches as his world crumbles around him. This week he shared the harrowing story of one pregnant mother forced to make her way to one of Gaza’s remaining hospitals.
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“The History of Latin American Leaders Cutting Ties with Israel Runs Deep,” Ramona Wadi (Nov. 20)
On Oct. 31, 2023, Bolivian Foreign Minister Freddy Mamani announced that the country was severing diplomatic ties with Israel, citing the “aggressive and disproportionate Israeli military offensive taking place in the Gaza Strip.” Ramona Wadi details the history of Israel’s relationship with Latin America.
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“AI Will Make Extremists More Effective, Too,” Jackie Lacroix (Nov. 17)
Jackie Lacroix argues that the time to consider and plan for the negative outcomes of AI’s growth is now. “With numerous national elections occurring globally in 2024, and the tendency of violent extremists to mobilize around high-profile political events, we ignore the potential exploitation of AI by extremist actors at our own peril.”
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“Ghost Ballast: Mexico in the Global Geopolitical Realignment,” Ann Louise Deslandes (Nov. 16)
A missing ship and a train for tourists illustrate Mexico’s growing militarism.
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“A Memorial Art Installation to Mourn the Dead and Call for a Ceasefire,” Yint Hmu (Nov. 16)
The scale of human suffering in the Gaza Strip and Israel over the last month is staggering. Win Without War Education Fund created an art memorial mourn the staggering number of deaths, call for a safe return of the hostages, and call for a ceasefire to safeguard people in Gaza — and in Israel — from further violence.
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“Forgotten Fallout: The Unfulfilled Promise of Nuclear Justice for the Marshallese,” Chloe Shrager (Nov. 15)
With the renewal of the Compact of Free Association awaiting congressional approval, the slim window of opportunity to invest in nuclear remediation for the Marshall Islands is nearly shut. Chloe Shrager speaks with some of the last remaining Marshallese to experience the US’ barrage of nuclear weapons tests in the islands, which amounted to the equivalent of 1.6 Hiroshimas per day between the years of 1946 and 1958.
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“Palestinian Exodus: A Personal Narrative of Evacuation in Gaza,” Mohammed Ali (Nov. 14)
“Mohammed Ali” reports that the trauma of displacement in the current conflict echoes the memory of the Nakba. “As the world looks on, this stark reality unfolds in real-time, a testament to a past that never fully passed and a present that is all too painfully familiar.”
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“What Might Russia’s Future Hold?,” Adults in a Room (Nov. 14)
Our friends at the Stimson Center’s Reimagining US Grand Strategy program ask, “How should US policymakers approach a Russia that remains a weakened but powerful country? Will Russia be able to maintain ties with critical international partners or will it be increasingly isolated, posing ongoing threats to its neighbors?”
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“Biden’s Base Is Sending Him a Wake-up Call On Israel-Palestine,” Peter Certo (Nov. 13)
Peter Certo argues that Biden is courting a political (and moral) catastrophe by ignoring young voters.
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“Israel-Hamas: A Looming Regional War?,” Hunter Williamson (Nov. 13)
Hunter Williamson checks in from Lebanon on fears that the fighting in Gaza could erupt into a bloody regional war.
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–From the desk of Laicie Heeley, Editor-in-Chief of Inkstick Media. Keep an eye out for our new managing editor soon!