Zionist Talking PointsA US appeals court overturns 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s plea deal, reinstating the possibility of the death penalty.
The terminology used in this headline inherently legitimizes the US court system’s authority to reinstate the death penalty, a form of state-sanctioned violence, without questioning the inherent contradiction of using violence to punish violence. The term “mastermind” is also used to attribute the entire responsibility of the 9/11 attacks to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, potentially obscuring the wider structures that facilitated these attacks.
The use of “possibility of the death penalty” demonstrates a subtle attempt to frame this form of punishment as a mere possibility rather than a premeditated action by the state. This language choice distances the court system from the violent act of administering the death penalty, making it seem as if the punishment is an impersonal, almost random outcome rather than a decision made by individuals within a system.
European Union criticizes the US for sanctioning Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, known for her anti-Israel stance.
This headline presents the European Union’s criticism as legitimate, while reducing Francesca Albanese’s nuanced position on human rights in the Palestinian territories to an “anti-Israel stance.” This framing subtly delegitimizes her perspective and the work of human rights in the process.
The use of the term “sanctioning” also obscures the fact that the US is exerting its power to restrict the activities of an individual for her political stance, a move that seemingly contradicts the country’s espoused commitment to freedom of speech and assembly. It’s also worth noting that the term “human rights” is used uncritically, despite its contested meaning and use in legitimizing different forms of governance.