WASHINGTON (Substack // Alex Rubinstein) — Andrew Yang made a name for himself during the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, primarily by being nothing like the other candidates. More interested in meme causes than bread and butter political causes, Yang’s name was synonymous with the words “outsider,” “memes,” and “math.”
But how different was he, really?
Hours after it was reported that the Israeli apartheid regime had murdered nine Palestinian children in the Gaza ghetto, Yang tweeted his unquestioning support for Israel.
“I’m standing with the people of Israel who are coming under bombardment attacks, and condemn the Hamas terrorists,” he wrote. “The people of NYC will always stand with our brothers and sisters in Israel who face down terrorism and persevere.”
Since Yang’s tweet, the hashtag “#YangSupportsGenocide” has trended.
Many have brushed this off as cynical pandering to New York City’s large and politically powerful Jewish community, as Yang has gone from democratic primary laggard to frontrunner in the city’s democratic mayoral primary.
Andrew Yang claims to value math.
So here’s some 2014 data on
Palestinian vs Israeli Casualties
1500-6 CIVILIANS Killed
550-1 CHILDREN Killed
Mr. Yang, what does the MATH tell you about who the terrorists are? https://t.co/LyMIyYBcqN
— ChuckModi (@ChuckModi1) May 11, 2021
After all — Yang was known for his quirky remarks and millennial sensibilities, how could he take such a loathsome, if run-of-the-mill stance on this issue?
During his presidential campaign, his crowds were primed to chant “Math!” when he talked numbers. The Washington Post noted that he was a “former gamer” when he talked about regulating video game “loot boxes.” He was billed as “the candidate for the end of the world.” He made headlines for planning to campaign as a hologram. The New York Times said of the democratic field: “Only one of them will be focused on the robot apocalypse.” He made campaign stops at hip hop concerts. He was the only candidate to take a stance against circumcision, in favor of thorium reactors, and even promised to, as president, eliminate the penny and “empower MMA fighters.”
I support Yang
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 10, 2019
He even had the support of Silicon Valley oddball oligarchs like Elon Musk and Jack Dorsey.
In its typically stupid fashion, the media pontificated about whether Yang Gang was comprised of Gen Z’ers or White Nationalists.
Even though the Democratic field was crowded, it was clear that one of them was not like the others.
But when it came to foreign policy, a topic rarely discussed by Yang, he took standard democrat positions, much like his recent stance on Israel.
While he was praised by alternative media for signing a pledge to end the “forever wars,” — a nebulous term that coming out against provides enough wiggle room to get away with maintaining the status quo — the majority of his stated foreign policy positions aren’t so different from his former campaign rival Joe Biden.
.@AndrewYang ended his Manchester office opening by celebrating with whipped cream pic.twitter.com/Ud8byTiFn4
— Christopher Donato (@chrisdonato04) December 3, 2019
Queried by the New York Times, Yang said that he would “consider military force for a humanitarian intervention,” that the United States should “maintain its current level of military aid to Israel,” that he does not support the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions movement, that Russia should be considered an adversary or enemy of the US, and that normalizing U.S.-China relations and trade should be “contingent on China’s closing its internment camps for Uighurs.”
For the sake of brevity, I’ll simply be sharing some quotes from the meme king himself. I won’t be hyperlinking, as these quotes are all easy to find on Google:
China:
https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1140339167244824576
Russia:
Bolivia:
Venezuela:
Iran:
Israel:
In addition to his response to the New York Times rejecting BDS, Andrew Yang recently wrote that “not only is BDS rooted in antisemitic thought and history, hearkening back to fascist boycotts of Jewish businesses, it’s also a direct shot at New York City’s economy. Strong ties with Israel are essential for a global city such as ours, which boasts the highest Jewish population in the world outside of Israel.”
Israelis dance, sing, cheer, and celebrate all while Israel brutalizes thousands of Palestinians, while settlers attempt to steal Palestinian homes in Sheikh Jarrah, and while Israel bombs Gaza, killing children. This is the lived reality of Palestinians under apartheid. pic.twitter.com/2YiPGDxxb9
— IMEU (@theIMEU) May 10, 2021
In an interview with the alternative media show Secular Talk, Yang defended this position citing his on the record support for a “two-state solution,” which he characterized as a “fairly mainstream perspective.”
Heart rending- This little boy has lost his father and brother in the deadly attack by Israel.(R) pic.twitter.com/CzkCaOE9oR
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) May 11, 2021
Yang is absolutely correct that the two-state solution is mainstream: it is supported by everyone from former CIA Director John Brennan, who recently penned an op-ed in which he pushed it, to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
"They have been fighting forever."
"It's a centuries-old religious conflict." pic.twitter.com/EXXSE5NsL0
— Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) May 11, 2021
The two-state solution is an easy answer to a problem that few can bring themselves to admit. It gives Israelis control over the geographically and economically important areas while Palestinians get a Jackson Pollock-style archipelago of overpopulated safe havens with few natural resources. Any serious progressive, at this point, is advocating for a one-state solution with equal rights for all citizens, not a segregationist policy we could call Jafar Crow.
Death toll rises to 26 in Gaza after targeting an apartment in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/nzqbZavBjp
— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) May 11, 2021
While Andrew Yang may not have much influence over US foreign policy should he get elected as Mayor of New York City, this kind of analysis of his positions was missing when it really mattered — while he was running for president. Yang enamored the left with his young and hip charade, popularizing fresh ideas like a universal basic income despite his mostly rotten, imperialist positions.
Because of the next to zero scrutiny the left gave to Yang’s foreign policy positions until his tweet on Monday supporting Israel as it bombs Gaza, I thought it was important to revisit this history in hopes that it will inform us for the future. I also propose a new nickname for the mayoral candidate: Andrew Yangkee.
And with this nickname, I humbly put forward this offering to the meme king of 2020.
Feature photo | Credit | Alex Rubinstein
Alex Rubinstein is an independent reporter on Substack. You can subscribe to get free articles from him delivered to your inbox here, and if you want to support his journalism, which is never put behind a paywall, you can give a one-time donation to him through PayPal here or sustain his reporting through Patreon here.