White Liberal Hypocrisy and the Selective Outrage Olympics: A Case Study in Gaza, Trump, and Smug Passive-Aggression

Ah, the sweet scent of performative outrage, wafting in like an overpriced soy candle from an artisanal Brooklyn shop. It smells like moral superiority with base notes of historical amnesia.

Today’s case study in “How to Be a Smug White Liberal Without Actually Doing Anything” comes courtesy of a Facebook post, where a particularly privileged liberal woman (let’s call her Beth) is aghast — aghast, I tell you! — that Donald Trump has declared the U.S. will “take Gaza, build hotels and resorts, and own it.”

Now, is this statement horrific? Absolutely. It is cartoonishly dystopian, the kind of imperialist wet dream that wouldn’t be out of place in an episode of Black Mirror if Black Mirror were honest about the U.S. government’s foreign policy. But what makes this post truly chef’s kiss level insufferable is not the content — which is vile — but the angle.

The Art of Pretending U.S. Imperialism is a Trump-Only Problem

Beth, like many white liberals, is under the deeply delusional impression that imperialism only counts when a Republican does it. You know, like how kids think that tag only counts when they’re not it.

Because if she actually cared about Gaza and U.S. imperialism, she would have been screaming when Biden sent billions of dollars in military aid to Israel, funding the bombs that have been obliterating Palestinian homes, hospitals, and families. She would have been furious when Kamala Harris, the same woman she is now using as a rhetorical cudgel, stood up and proudly declared her unwavering support for Israel, even as images of dead Palestinian children circulated across every major news outlet.

But no. Beth was quiet then.

It is only now, when she can position Gaza as a partisan gotcha — a club to beat former liberals over the head with — that she finds her voice. It is now, when she can smugly post “How bout them eggs?” like some discount Socrates, that she chooses to care.

Because, for people like Beth, foreign policy is not about real suffering. It’s not about real lives. It’s a game, and the only objective is scoring points against people who didn’t vote correctly.

Kamala Would Have Saved Us (From the Thing She’s Actively Enabling?)

The most hilarious part of this entire post is the suggestion that had we all just rallied behind Kamala Harris, this crisis would be handled better.

Handled better how, exactly?

Would she have refused to send arms to Israel? Doubtful.Would she have condemned the Israeli government’s actions? She hasn’t yet.Would she have not supported the ongoing blockade and bombardment? Not likely.

No, in this hypothetical liberal fantasy world, Kamala wouldn’t have stopped U.S. complicity in Gaza’s destruction. She would have simply done it with better PR and less unhinged tweets.

Which is what this really boils down to: optics.

Because liberals like Beth don’t actually want to stop imperialism. They just want it done nicely, with polite press releases and maybe a Vogue photoshoot for Kamala where she’s wearing sustainable couture while signing off on military aid packages.

Imperialism is Fine, As Long As My Team Does It

Let’s be honest: if Trump actually does try to seize Gaza and build luxury hotels on the rubble, there will be bipartisan outrage.

But if Biden had announced the exact same plan, Beth and her ilk would be sharing New York Times think pieces about “how tourism could stabilize Gaza’s economy” and hosting NPR panels about “nuanced foreign policy solutions.”

Because that’s the game.

That’s the White Liberal Double Standard™.

And that’s why people like Beth are so insufferable. Because they don’t actually oppose the machine. They just want it to wear a blue tie instead of a red one.

A Lesson in Political Homelessness

I used to be a liberal, too. I get it. The illusion is comforting. It feels good to believe that there’s a “good side” and a “bad side,” and that if you just root for the good team hard enough, everything will be fine.

But the reality is this: The empire doesn’t care about your team colors. It only cares about power.

And the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can stop being manipulated by people like Beth, who are less interested in actual justice and more interested in smugly punishing those of us who dared to break free from the illusion.

So, to Beth, and every other liberal clutching their pearls over Gaza only when it’s convenient:

Sweetheart, your moral high ground has a sinkhole — step carefully before you fall all the way in.