Body Politics

Nishita Jha

 

First up, things you should know this week: the US election race, two assassinations, geopolitics, and the internet.

JD Vance appeared to be Silicon Valley’s chosen blue-eyed boy just a few weeks ago, but a significant faction of tech investors who describe themselves as “pro-business, pro-American dream, pro-entrepreneurship, and pro-technological progress” are now rallying behind US Vice President Kamala Harris. Why is Silicon Valley determined to play kingmaker in the US elections? One big reason is Biden’s billionaire tax.

Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of the Palestinian extremist group Hamas, and Fuad Shokr, a senior member of Hezbollah, were killed within hours of each other on July 31. The deaths have sparked fears of a wider crisis in the Middle East, where oil prices began to soar within hours of the news about the assassinations. Here is a look at how oil prices and conflict have been linked historically.

Sanctioned and shunned by the West over the full scale invasion in Ukraine, Russia has invested heavily into its relationship with the rest of the world, relying heavily on China, and going on a charm offensive in Africa and Asia. Some of this diplomacy has been detrimental to Ukraine and crucial in keeping Putin  in power. Read Insider’s deep dive on how the Kremlin’s aggression is bringing more allies to Ukraine here.

What’s going on with YouTube in Russia? YouTube users in Russia have reported that loading speeds on the video platform have slowed down by 40%, amid concerns the platform may be shut down in Russia altogether, as a growing effort by the country to isolate its internet from the rest of the world. Alexander Khinshtein, who is part of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy, shared on his Telegram channel that the slow down was a deliberate decision. “The degradation of YouTube is a forced step, aimed not against Russian users, but against the administration of a foreign resource, which still believes that it can violate and ignore our legislation with impunity”. In July, Roskomnadzor asked Google to unblock more than 200 YouTube channels that belonged to Russian journalists, media, public figures, artists, and government agencies which were banned in 2022.

Since the 2016 election, Russia has been a staple of cable news and social media in the U.S. But Americans aren’t really talking about Russia as much as they’re talking about themselves. Read our essay on American filmmakers and their fascination with Russia here.

Political bodies in art and at the Olympics:

Since it was painted in 1650, the The Threatened Swan by Dutch painter Jan Asseljin has been explained through two allegories, either the swan is a protective parent guarding her eggs from a ferocious dog, or the swan is a political allegory representing Johann de Witt, a politician in 17th century Holland, defending his Republic from enemies. Neither of these explains what is truly arresting about Asseljin’s work, which is the sheer force of a body in motion frozen in time, animated by something so primal it can only be understood, not spoken. [Scroll up if you missed the image or see it in its full glory here]

The spectacle of moving bodies animated by passion has captivated humans since at least 776 BC, when the first Olympics were held in ancient Greece and won by a cook named Coreobus. In 2024, the irony of a global event to promote peaceful competition is extreme. At the Olympics, feats of extraordinary athleticism remind us of what human bodies are capable of. But outside the arena, we are forced to confront how fragile those bodies are, how quickly they are reduced to politics, parts and rubble.

At the Paris Olympics, athletes and performers who embody euphoria, grace, speed and resilience must also confront the fact that their bodies are political. Barbara Butch, a queer performer who was part of the opening ceremony, has filed a complaint against the extreme cyberbullying they have faced since their performance was aired. Simone Biles, who made Olympic history, had to explain why her hair was out of place in the midst of a heatwave brought on by climate-change. Thanks to years of advocacy, for the first time in history Olympic and Paralympic athletes who are parents will finally be able to access a special nursery within the village.

Watch: Unconfined joy is the only way to describe this moment when the Olympic Refugee Team’s Cindy Ngamba won her way to the boxing quarter finals.

Listen: To this podcast called Matryoshka of Lies documenting Russia’s history of doublespeak, invasions, and political killings.

Read: About the first out gay Olympic Gold Medalist Matthew Mitcham on how athletes are supplementing their careers with money they make on OnlyFans.

Special thanks to Marina Bocharaova.