Housing is a human right, but the New Yorkers I observed in August were as indifferent to their unhoused neighbors (and any associated pit bulls) as they were to the enormous piles of garbage on the sidewalks every night. Examples:
What would New Yorkers rather do than fund apartments for those currently homeless? Spend $6.50 on a cup of coffee rather than suffer the indignity of having to operate a Mr. Coffee machine (pick one up for $18 while getting a Halloween costume at Target and then make coffee for 25 cents per cup?).
Immigrants, on the other hand, are entitled to both sympathy (“Fuck ICE”) and tax dollars (city-funded immigration lawyers plus city-funded advertising to make sure that the undocumented use the city-funded immigration lawyers):
Consistently with Is LGBTQIA the most popular social justice cause because it does not require giving money? (2019), rainbow flags were everywhere. One’s commitment to this cause can be satisfied by posting a flag or a sticker. No need to pay for housing nor a immigration lawyers. Compare and contrast:
(Lululemon proclaims their commitment to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ with a sticker and a statement about how they don’t tolerate “hate”. At the same time, they operate stores in Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Grok:
These countries generally criminalize male same-sex sexual activity (female activity is less consistently or explicitly addressed in some codes).
Saudi Arabia: Illegal under Sharia law (no fully codified secular penal code for this). Penalties can include imprisonment, flogging, fines, deportation (for foreigners), and the death penalty in some interpretations/cases (especially for Muslims or aggravated/repeated offenses). Courts apply traditional Islamic jurisprudence.
United Arab Emirates: Illegal under federal law (and stricter local codes in some emirates). Same-sex acts and extramarital sex are criminalized. Penalties include imprisonment (federal minimum of roughly 6 months in recent framing; local codes historically up to 10 years in Dubai or 14 in Abu Dhabi). Death penalty is theoretically possible…
Kuwait: Illegal for men. Consensual intercourse between adult men is punishable by up to 7 years’ imprisonment under the Penal Code.
Qatar: Illegal. Penalties include imprisonment (commonly cited up to several years). Death penalty remains a theoretical possibility under Sharia for Muslims in some interpretations of related offenses, though documented application specifically for private consensual same-sex acts is limited.
In short, Lululemon maintains a commercial presence (and has expanded it) in countries where the activity referenced in the original NYC store messaging is illegal and can carry severe penalties, while displaying progressive inclusion messaging and a progress pride flag in markets such as New York.
What if you need to buy some sacred Rainbow Flag items? The good news is that there is at least one store. The bad news is that it has apparently been vandalized in hate-filled NYC (where “hate has no home”, except for all of the haters who commit hate crimes at 7X the per-capita rate vs. Palm Beach County):
What can be purchased there?
In other retail news, CVS keeps everything locked up and inflation has been running at 50 percent lately:
The twin pillars of Queers for Palestine remain robust in NYC. I visited a friend who is supporting the #resistance by mail-ordering olive oil purportedly farmed by an Arab who calls herself “Palestinian” in a village NW of Jerusalem. (Why “purportedly”? At least the Italian extra virgin olive oil is mostly fraudulently relabeled Tunisian (New Yorker 2007).)
A May 2023 post from the retailer of this $47 (plus tax and shipping for only 500ml) product:
The Zaatar Arabic Restaurant, nestled in the heart of Gaza, embodies the essence of Palestinian cuisine, offering a delightful fusion of traditional flavors and contemporary twists. It serves as a testament to the innovation and creativity of Palestinian chefs who seek to preserve the authenticity of their culinary heritage while adding a modern touch.
So, the next time you find yourself in Palestine, make sure to venture into the bustling Gaza Market or explore the markets of Ramallah, Bethlehem, and beyond. Immerse yourself in the sights, smells, and tastes of Palestinian cuisine and experience firsthand the remarkable connection between the markets and the extraordinary flavors that grace the tables of Palestinian households and restaurants alike.
The page includes a video of pre-October 7 Gaza market life. A follow-up 2024 post says that “for Palestinians, the harvest remains a powerful act of resilience and resistance”.
What does resistance taste like? Terrible, in my opinion! If I wanted to support the Arabs who call themselves Palestinian, I would instead buy Arbequina olive oil at a fraction of the price from Hamas’s allies in the Islamic Republic of Spain.
I’m not sure that New Yorkers will have the energy, in the long run, to promote Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Party of Allah (“Hezbollah”), et al. They might have to turn their attention to the conflict between what’s culturally acceptable for their recent arrivals and the legacy population. Haram and halal outfits for women on Houston St.:
Maybe the adult who is modestly covered can tolerate the half-naked female parading down the street, but once Muslims are the most powerful voting bloc in NYC will they want their children exposed to this? That sundress made sense in the 85-degree heat, but it would certainly not be allowed anywhere near the above-mentioned olive farm nor in Gaza!
Phil I will ask you this in a genuine way. When you are down in Florida and you see a homeless person (there have to be at least a few), do you stop and help them?
Because if you don’t, then it is hypocrisy expecting New Yorkers to stop and help the homeless around them. That’s a job for the government for which New Yorkers already bleed themselves to pay. It’s like building a highway or an airport. What do you expect the private citizen to do about that?
Anon: Your question doesn’t make a lot of sense. Except when I am channeling the Righteous, I never took the position that housing is a human right. So it would not be hypocritical of me to take no action in response to seeing a homeless person in Jupiter, Florida (a hypothetical situation because I don’t think that I have seen a homeless person in our town). It should be rare to find homeless people in Palm Beach County more generally because, unlike NYC, the County operates a “Housing First” program (see https://discover.pbc.gov/communityservices/humanservices/Pages/Homeless.aspx ). It probably would make more sense to encourage homeless Floridians to move to the welfare fleshpots of NY, MA, CA, VT, etc. because I don’t think that there is widespread agreement among Floridians that “housing is a human right”. To maximize nationwide happiness, it would make sense for everyone on welfare to live in states where almost all of the voters agree that providing welfare is the proper role for government.