Sean Phelan
@seanphelan8
Dad. Irish. Teaches & researches at @HMCCMassey. Writing a book about critique, media & reactionary politics.
My piece - "The New Zealand Government and the silence over Gaza" - has been republished @MasseyUni's op-ed page. A story about a Minister of Foreign Affairs who has more to say about "wokeness" than the genocide happening in real time @mjdutt massey.ac.nz/about/news/opi…
Many thanks to my colleague @mjdutt for publishing this piece at his blog....about the New Zealand government's silence over Gaza culture-centered.blogspot.com/2025/06/the-ne…
"The powerful punishing those who speak for the powerless, it is not a sign of strength, but of guilt". Let's stand tall, together.
After a minute of reflection upon hearing the news that the US imposed sanctions against her, the response of @FranceskAlbs needed no translation, reassuring that there is no stepping back in working for justice and freedom for all. ❤️✊
Timely and important reflection on the publication mandate in academia. There’s good reason why some academic authors choose to write slowly and take time to develop ideas. Against Publication: The Case for Academics to Write Less theindiaforum.in/education/agai… @TheIndiaForum
The reason westerners repeat that it’s ‘antisemitic’ to accuse Israel of genocide is that Israel IS the west, a post-Shoah west where to be western is to be the victim of one’s victims, the underdog in an anticolonial world. Criticising Israel is ‘anti-white racism’ to them.
Shes right this should be the headlines this is Palestine's holocaust
It's no revelation at this stage, but, of all the Western countries, the German media coverage of Gaza is surely the most egregious. From the 13 min mark here youtube.com/watch?v=AWp0Dg…
Such a rich conversation with Ray Brassier youtu.be/hEQ5-mQeO7I?si…
A powerful critique of the authoritarianism of Starmer's Labour Party "The greatest single horror of Starmer’s Labour administration has been its complicity in the crimes against humanity of the government of Israel, in its barbaric and murderous attacks on the people of Gaza"
I've decided to leave the Labour Party, after over 31 years of membership. Here are a few thoughts on why I've come to this conclusion, which may be of interest to others who find themselves rethinking their own political attachments and affiliations. substack.com/home/post/p-16…
What is there left to say
85% of Gaza’s population have entered the "fifth stage" of malnutrition — the most critical and dangerous phase, which is often irreversible even if food becomes available in the future.
Canceling Colbert is another egregious example of why we can't entrust our major media institutions in the hands of profit-driven oligarchs. Such concentrated power over our media is especially dangerous under authoritarianism, muffling dissent precisely when we need it most.
CBS canceled Colbert’s show just THREE DAYS after Colbert called out CBS parent company Paramount for its $16M settlement with Trump – a deal that looks like bribery. America deserves to know if his show was canceled for political reasons. Watch and share his message.
We need more of this front-foot solidarity across education, arts, culture and media industries. No more timid subservience to cry-bullying genocide deniers. theguardian.com/music/2025/jul…
Some thoughts for these fascist times. Victimhood in the service of fascists and why I reject it. My postcolonial trauma is not your fascist fodder. culture-centered.blogspot.com/2025/07/the-po…
Just look at how quickly eager little authoritarians in the police will take a 'mandate' from parliament and stretch it to suit a racist, genocidal agenda. A final goodbye to the 'this only happens in China/Russia/Iran' fantasy. This is you.
British Police Officers Say Holding A "Free Gaza" Poster Is A Terrorism Offence Advocating against genocide in the UK is now being considered support for Palestine Action, just proscribed a terrorist group. A real time consequence of the ban. Free Speech=Terrorism in Kent, UK.
For the @nytimes, of course, it is always from an Israeli Jewish perspective. God forbid they publish a lengthy essay by a Palestinian expert detailing the case for charging Israel with genocide.
I'm a Genocide Scholar. I Know It When I See it. Omer Bartov, NYT archive.md/0dpn2
Powerful critique of the official Western discourse about Gaza nytimes.com/2025/07/15/opi…
It's not often that I am given to bouts of optimism, such is the curse of being an Economist. But a look back at New Zealand's history is giving me pause for thought. My latest substack on what 1931 can tell us about today is available at: craigrenney.substack.com/p/its-not-1931…
Australia’s top investigative journalist @MichaelWestBiz well summarises a just-published official report on #antisemitism - its silence about Israel’s genocide is so brazen that among its possible perverse unintended effects will be to fuel the #antisemitism it decries…
Just read the Segal Report. Gaza not mentioned. Pretty twisted stuff, totalitarian, implicitly racist. Not a lot of self-awareness from the Zionists. They appear to truly believe that they are not to blame for anything If Albo touches this, it will not end well #antisemitism
“What has happened…will be remembered as the moment millions of people looked at the West, the rules-based order, the shell of modern liberalism and the capitalistic thing it serves, and said: I want nothing to do with this” penguinrandomhouse.com/books/777485/o…
LOL...Lindsay totally raving at the ACT rally. Now that they did a wikipedia search on the guy, journalists have some good material for the next media stand up with Seymour
This is what political courage and leadership looks like in the world of the diplomatic elites
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has described Israel's ongoing military offensive in Gaza as "the greatest genocide this century has witnessed." He also formally requested the European Union to suspend its association agreement with Israel.
By sanctioning a UN Special Rapporteur, the US may be in violation of the 1946 Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the UN. As an expert on UN mission, SR Albanese is entitled to immunity from legal process of any kind. Which UN member will take the US to the ICJ over this?
What is shameful and illegitimate is this move by the US to retaliate against @FranceskAlbs for her principled, courageous and effective work as UN Special Rapporteur. This is part of the broader pattern of Trumpian frontal assault on international accountability institutions.