Conspiracy theories about the Beirut blast— implications:
- downplaying the catastrophic consequences of actual potential nuclear attacks/weaponry is dangerous especially in a political climate rife with “nuclear talks/deals/negotiations”
1/x

- deflecting and distracting from gross negligence of the Lebanese gov. storing ammonium nitrate near a residential area for 6!! Years!!
2/x

- discrediting the work of diligent journalists who have traced this negligence back to 2013 incl. court documents calling for the proper handling of the stored ammonium nitrate + the efforts of those who realized the impending danger at the time, took action, & were ignored
3/x

- reaffirming Western ideologies of MENA being a consistent war zone, which further leads to and exacerbates desensitized responses to tragedies in the region
4/x

- while you’re sitting there drawing circles and arrows on non-existent missiles in the sky:
• ~45% of the population lives below the poverty line
• an estimated additional 300k are now homeless
• unemployment is at 33%
5/x

• corruption runs rampant in virtually every aspect of government— including waste management, electricity + water
• inflation rate continues to skyrocket and financial institutions continue to hold people’s money hostage. People are BARTERING for basic needs.
6/x

• COVID spread continues w/ very limited access to healthcare, now exacerbated by toxic fumes due to chemical exposure
• the rich and powerful give absolutely no shits
7/x

These are REAL. PEOPLE. Real people who are starving, who face hardship after hardship, real people who deserve more than your ill-informed and shoddily researched conspiracy theories about missiles and nukes and juxtaposed images of Hiroshima/Nagasaki.
8/x

If you’re sitting here saying 2.75 kilotons is comparable to 12-15 kilotons + long-term health effects from exposure to radiation, I truly have no words for you.
9/x

What happened in Beirut and continues to happen in Lebanon as a whole is devestating on its own. There is no need to construct false narratives and equivalences that detract from real issues that real people are currently facing.
10/x

If anything, this tragedy shows us how truly dangerous corruption & negligence can be. There is no need to imagine covert & undercover plans to bomb Beirut in order to understand how truly sinister & evil those in power are.
11/x

Lebanon has been chanting THAWRA for the better part of a year. It’s well past time we listen.
12/12.