research, policy, advocacy, equity, harm reduction, access to health care. cannabis. psychedelics. MHA, PhD. Earthling. Opinions are my own. RTs ≠ endorsement
Vancouver, British Columbia
Joined May 2015
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Rielle Capler retweeted
“I remember what that hatred looked and felt like.”
Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson says antisemitism in Philadelphia reminds him of the racism he faced in the segregated South. He’s calling on local leaders to speak out.
jpost.com/diaspora/antisemit…
Rielle Capler retweeted
Since 10/7, I am reminded constantly that I spent the early 2020s surrounded by lunatic antisemitic extremists.
Rielle Capler retweeted
BREAKING: The Philly Bike Boycott has reportedly ended early because of the overwhelming number of counterprotestors who showed up.
Notice which side is fully masked to hide their identities.
Rielle Capler retweeted
Today I walked through the Anne Frank exhibit in Chicago. I saw this & immediately thought of the pics & videos I saw online of useful idiots taking to the streets to harass & intimidate Jewish-owned businesses. We will NOT go back. We know how this started. NOT NOW, NOT EVER.
Rielle Capler retweeted
What's the difference between masked bike riders targeting Jewish businesses and the KKK marching through a neighborhood to intimidate people they hate?
The bicycles?
Rielle Capler retweeted
Top Democrat strategist Van Jones,
One of Obama’s former aides during his presidency
Released this message to #Michigan on #AbdulElSayed
#Midterms
Rielle Capler retweeted
Joe Rogan just passes on any ol' lie he finds in the deepest holes of the internet, even when the lie is raw hate from beginning to end.
Israel allows genetic testing. Almost all clinical tests and prenatal tests are actually covered under our national health insurance.
And you absolutely can get ancestry testing in Israel. 23AndMe specifically, which Joe mentions as outlawed in Israel, ships to Israel. Go to their international website and try it before you spread this dumb, mean lie. Also FamilyTreeDNA and some others.
And once you get your raw DNA information through 23AndMe and others, you can upload it to every other ancestry website for analysis.
In fact, Ashkenazi Jews, including Israeli Ashkenazim, are some of the most genetically studied populations on the fucking planet, you racist dolts. (Oops, just realized I'm kinda pissed.)
There are even Israeli studies by Israeli researchers of Israeli Jewish genetics. Nature has published studies using Israeli genetics databases. Here, for example: nature.com/articles/nature09…
So what does Israel actually restrict, and why is it so severe about it?
Two words: Parentage and obsessive privacy rules.
Parentage tests are as tightly controlled as heroin.
The reason is peculiar to our tradition and may be hard for outsiders to understand. In Jewish religious law, a "mamzer," someone born of the mother's adultery or from incest, lives a restricted life in some ways, including limits on who they can marry under traditional laws. And their religious status is heritable. These are ancient laws, but they matter in a basically conservative and religious society.
To protect children from ever becoming saddled with this status, parentage tests require a family court order, even if both parents consent to the test. Because the child has to be protected. Rabbinical courts have often forbidden testing almost across the board, including in divorce cases. In one case I once read about, the rabbinical court quashed the father's genetic test and demanded that he adopt the child to avoid any doubt. This was to protect the child in that particular case. The court refused to release the father from responsibility for the child and refused to examine evidence into the child's actual parentage.
Is this a weird cultural artifact born from a specific feature of the Jewish tradition? Yes. Feel free to make fun of it over in the secular West. I make fun of it myself over here. But inasmuch as old traditional rules are an unavoidable part of our big-family, tightly-knit society, I'll take this weirdness, and the never-ending effort to cleverly circumvent the damaging parts of the old traditions, over what's happening in your neck of the woods.
Is it all an attempt to hide the 2000 years we spent in Europe? No, you dolt. What the hell is wrong with you?
And then there's privacy. Pay attention to this one, because you'll wish you had some of our rules in your own country.
This is the only real limit on ancestry kits.
Your genetic information is totally, utterly private. Your employer and your insurance company can never discriminate against you based on your genetics. Even just attempting to get their hands on your genetic information is a felony. Labs and genetic counselors are closely regulated.
In the age of AI, even just the leaking of a *relative's* genetic information can hurt your employability and your insurance premiums. And it's not some crazy fear. Ancestry kit companies are bought and sold by commercial investors all the time, and they're the owners of customers' data. A data breach of 23AndMe in 2023 put the genetic information of millions on the internet. You're telling me insurance companies didn't scoop it up? Israelis are more protected from that dystopian new reality than most of the rest of you.
And importantly, the law's prohibitions are on the commercial companies, not on the customer. Giving someone your own genetic information isn't a crime. The company buying and selling it commercially within the jurisdiction of Israeli law is committing the crime.
That's why the one company that's actually hampered in any meaningful way from testing Israelis is MyHeritage, which is Israeli. To bypass Israeli jurisdiction and that massive privacy regime, Israelis just order a kit from a company in Texas.
So why do literally hundreds of millions of people believe the lie that Israel has a blanket restriction on genetic testing to avoid anyone ever finding out that Ashkenazi Jews come from Europe?
At its core, at its most basic: because they want to create the permission structure to destroy Israel. They want to declare Israel a colonialist, imperialist interloper doomed to be felled by the noble indigenous Arab of the land.
So they declare that Israel is hiding this great, terrible secret that nobody has ever hidden and nobody could ever hide -- that it doesn't actually belong here.
Never mind the fact that every study of Ashkenazi Jews shows that they have origins in the Levant -- isn't it a bit odd that this argument never grapples with the millions of Israeli Jews who spent the past 1,800 years in places like Iraq and Yemen, Jews who were expelled and fled to the last man, woman and child to Israel, and who make up half of Israeli society today?
You'd think if this was actually about Israeli "genetics," that would be part of this conversation. But it isn't about any kind of reality, it's a bigoted, genocidal fantasy. So the millions of Jews who don't even come from Europe magically disappear from this conversation.
I don't think Joe Rogan dreams of our annihilation. I think Joe picks up garbage floating in the juices at the bottom of the internet's deepest garbage bins and launders it happily for clicks.
New: Joe Rogan reveals to comedian Sam Tallent that the real reason Israel restricts DNA ancestry testing is because most of the people over there aren’t Semites and are actually just European Jews:
ROGAN: “The real Semites are the Palestinians. Benjamin Netanyahu’s family is from Poland.”
CONTEXT: Israel does have restrictions on DNA testing.
According to Israel's Ministry of Health, paternity and family-relationship DNA tests generally require a COURT ORDER, even when everyone involved consents.
And there's an especially surprising detail.
MyHeritage, an ancestry-testing company HEADQUARTERED IN ISRAEL that offers DNA kits internationally, explicitly lists ISRAEL among the countries where its consumer ancestry tests are unavailable.
But that does NOT establish Rogan's allegation about WHY these restrictions exist.
Israel's genetic-information laws address matters including consent, family relationships, privacy, and potential consequences for children.
There is no substantiated evidence that the restrictions were created to conceal the ethnic origins of Israel's Jewish population.
And when Rogan brings up Netanyahu's Polish family roots, he's referencing something with a documented historical basis.
Netanyahu's father, Benzion Netanyahu, was born in WARSAW in 1910, before his family immigrated to what was then British Mandatory Palestine.
But European family history doesn't automatically mean someone has no ancient Middle Eastern ancestry.
In fact, scientific research reveals a much more complicated story.
IMPORTANT NOTES: A major genetic study published in NATURE in 2010 found evidence connecting many Jewish diaspora communities to shared ancestral origins in the LEVANT.
And a 2020 study published in CELL examined ancient DNA from Bronze Age populations in the region.
Researchers found substantial genetic continuity between ancient Levantine populations and multiple populations living in the region today, including Jewish and Arab communities.
In other words, the evidence points to a history of shared regional ancestry, migrations, and intermixing. It’s not a simple genetic division between two populations.
Then Rogan takes the discussion even further.
He questions whether the term ANTISEMITISM should instead be called “anti-Jewish,” arguing that Palestinians have a stronger claim to being called Semites.
But there's another important historical distinction.
“Semitic” originally refers to a LANGUAGE FAMILY that includes Hebrew and Arabic, not a scientifically defined genetic race.
And the word “antisemitism,” despite its linguistic roots, has historically referred specifically to hostility or prejudice toward JEWISH PEOPLE.
Rielle Capler retweeted
My Jewish ancestors lived till 70 CE in Judea from where they were taken by the Romans around the year 100 as slaves to Europe, forming the Diaspora. My Barzelay lineage lived till 1380 in Basque country, till 1496 in Portugal, till 1715 in Venice, and since then in Amsterdam.
I'm proud of my biblical name, Barzelay (or Barzilai), meaning “man of iron". Barzelay the Gileadite was King David's friend (2 Samuel 17.27-29 & 19.32-40). Barzelay the Meholathite (2 Samuel 21.8). In Ezra (2.61) & Nehemiah (7.63) a priestly clan is called "children of Barzelay”. I can trace my Barzelay family name back to Basque Country in 1353.
I’m the sole male 2nd generation Holocaust survivor who never got to know 214 relatives of my four grandparents’ families, murdered by the German Nazis with the help of Dutch collaborators.
Since 1967 I’m back in my ancestral homeland, Israel, rebuilding my decimated family.
What’s my privilege? So far the only privilege I have had, is being a target of IslamoFascists and antisemites of all ethnicities, colors, shapes and backgrounds, just like my ancestors for 3000 years. Nothing changed. What was supposed to be “Never again” became “More of the same again”.
Except that we Jews don’t take antisemitic shit any longer. Antisemites can shove it. We defend our existence and fight back since 1948, to the chagrin of our enemies.
Am 🇮🇱 Chai.
Rielle Capler retweeted
Can you imagine the @washingtonpost publishing this article, today?
They should run it again, but they probably won’t, because they’re cowards.
Rielle Capler retweeted
"Windows hit at synagogue" is perhaps the least urgent and most passive way possible to describe yet another racist attack on Jews during a historic wave of bigotry.
Windows at Westmount synagogue hit by apparent pellet gun fire, police say ctvnews.ca/montreal/article/…
Rielle Capler retweeted
He was famous for advocating for peace between Muslims and Christians. Islamists murdered him for that.
You don’t hate the BBC enough.
Rielle Capler retweeted
Calling Jews racist for rejecting Arab parties that won’t call Hamas terrorists is like calling Black people racist for rejecting the KKK.
Jews are expected to prove they're not racist by endorsing those who are ok with them being murdered, tortured and kidnapped for being Jews.
Rielle Capler retweeted
So if Eisenkot's coalition doesn't join with Arab parties, they're racist?
One of the Arab parties is extremely anti-LGBTQ+. They refuse to condemn Hamas.
When you judge a party by what you see as its "race," instead of its stances, who is the racist one?
Rielle Capler retweeted
The media posted more about Macklemore's opening show than over 60 Christians being massacred this morning.
Weird.
Rielle Capler retweeted
FACT: The annual funding Israel receives from the US amounts to less than one-tenth of 1% of the federal budget. Less than 1/10th of 1%.
FACT: That annual funding would cover only a few hours of federal health care spending. A few hours.
Yet politicians who specialize in scapegoating would have you believe that Israel is responsible for America’s affordability crisis.
Like every form of scapegoating before it, it is a dangerous lie.
Rielle Capler retweeted
Capitalism didn't create your need to work to survive. Nature did.
An employer doesn't impose that necessity upon you. He offers you an opportunity to satisfy it through voluntary exchange.
Socialism doesn't eliminate the necessity of work. It merely transfers authority over production to politicians or the collective.
Under capitalism, you're free to change employers, negotiate wages, work for yourself, or establish a cooperative. None guarantees success, but the freedom exists.
And here's where your moral superiority becomes particularly ridiculous.
You condemn people for offering employment on terms others are free to reject, yet consider yourself morally entitled to dictate how they must use their property, run their businesses, and compensate others.
You call voluntary agreements exploitation while presenting coercion as compassion.
Your objection isn't that people are being forced to serve others. It's that they aren't being forced to serve others on your terms.
And somehow, you've convinced yourself that makes you the moral one.
After reading the replies to my original post, I've learned that some libertarians have a much bigger problem than their understanding of economics. Their complete lack of empathy is fucking astonishing.
I suggested that paying half your income in rent because the alternative is sleeping in a freezing car isn't exactly a wonderful example of economic freedom. The responses were an extraordinary collection of lectures about voluntary exchange, personal responsibility, property rights, and why homelessness is apparently just another consumer preference.
Here are the five most common arguments.
1. It's voluntary because nobody is forcing you.
Apparently, choosing between unaffordable rent and sleeping in your car is the expression of liberty. Sure, nobody is holding a gun to your head. But someone with $500 in the bank doesn't have the same bargaining power as someone with $10 million in property. A decision made under financial desperation is still a decision. That doesn't mean the person has meaningful economic freedom. If your definition of liberty includes celebrating someone's choice to freeze in their car, perhaps your philosophy needs some fucking work.
2. Just move, get roommates, buy a house, or sleep in your car.
This was my favorite. One person suggested getting a gym membership so you could sleep in your car and still shower. Others recommended second jobs, roommates, or simply buying a house. Fucking brilliant. But what happens when millions of households simultaneously move somewhere cheaper? Demand increases, and those locations become less affordable unless housing supply expands. What works for one individual doesn't necessarily work for everyone. It's called the fallacy of composition. An entire housing crisis cannot be solved by giving millions of people individual financial advice. Yet apparently, sleeping in a Toyota Corolla now constitutes a comprehensive economic policy.
3. Government regulations and central banks caused expensive housing.
This was actually a reasonable argument, at least initially. Restrictive zoning and excessive development regulations absolutely can contribute to expensive housing. But blaming government for every undesirable market outcome is just ideological laziness. Housing prices also depend on incomes, credit conditions, construction costs, land values, population growth, speculation, and investment expectations. Developers build when they expect sufficient profits, not simply because people need somewhere to live. Removing bad regulations can improve housing supply. It doesn't magically eliminate every other economic problem. An economy is an interconnected system, not a fucking supply-and-demand diagram.
4. The landlord provides a mutually beneficial service.
Several people argued that rental transactions must benefit both parties because otherwise they wouldn't happen. Yes, someone facing homelessness might prefer paying half their income in rent to sleeping outside. Congratulations. You've established that people prefer shelter to freezing. But that doesn't prove the housing market is competitive, affordable, or producing desirable outcomes. People routinely accept terrible arrangements because their alternatives are worse. Individual rationality doesn't guarantee desirable outcomes for society. The existence of a transaction isn't proof that the economic system is working particularly well.
5. You aren't entitled to someone else's property or labor.
And naturally, someone had to start screaming about communism. Apparently, suggesting that people shouldn't have to sleep in freezing cars is now revolutionary Marxism. I support private property, competitive markets, and private enterprise. But supporting capitalism doesn't require celebrating every outcome it produces. Property rights don't automatically guarantee affordable housing, economic efficiency, or an equitable distribution of resources. You can defend private property without treating human suffering as an acceptable demonstration of economic liberty.
Now, here's what genuinely disturbed me.
I expected arguments about economics. What I didn't expect was how enthusiastically some people recommended homelessness. Sleep in your car. Get a gym membership. Work three jobs. Move away. Stop complaining. These weren't hypothetical responses. People actually suggested these things. Imagine seeing someone struggling to afford shelter and immediately explaining why they should be grateful to their landlord. What kind of fucking worldview produces that reaction?
Markets are supposed to serve human beings. Human beings aren't supposed to suffer simply to validate someone's economic philosophy. I'm a supporter of free markets, but I don't believe that requires abandoning basic human empathy. The irony is that people who constantly preach individual liberty seem perfectly comfortable dismissing the economic circumstances that restrict it.
If your response to someone facing homelessness is to congratulate them on having the freedom to sleep in their fucking car, perhaps you've spent too much time defending capitalism and not enough time interacting with actual human beings.
Rielle Capler retweeted
Current deaths in conflicts around the world. That one at the bottom is the "genocide" the whole world must stop by ruining Ed Sheeran tours and abusing Jewish kids in Golders Green.
Rielle Capler retweeted
Did you know?
1300 years ago, a Jew in Iran wrote this letter in Judeo-Persian to his Jewish friends in China, which goes far back in Jewish life in China.
In 1949, the communist government of China ethnically cleansed China of all Jews living there.
Tens of thousands of Jews became stateless overnight.
Since October 7th, China has taken an active role in fueling global antisemitism.
