America has a problem with passivity. It’s not the kind of passivity that prevents us from responding to threats — many attacks on our country are met with a disproportionate, violent response. American passivity has to do with an unwillingness to address (or even acknowledge) injustice, especially the type of injustice that benefits those in charge.
Looking away from problems is a core principle of the American experiment. If 246 years of slavery isn’t enough to prove this, consider the following century of discrimination against Black Americans. Despite protests, speeches and hundreds of thousands of Americans marching in support of equal rights, it took until the 1960s for these rights to be legally recognized.
American passivity has not resolved with time. Perhaps the most recognizable issue that demonstrates this passivity is climate change. The Earth’s temperature has risen by 1.2 degrees Celsius since the 1800s, and will rise by 3.1 degrees Celsius by the end of the century if we don’t take action. The effects of climate change are already here: stronger and deadlier hurricanes, droughts, heat waves and rising sea levels. All of these changes are already affecting billions of people, but we haven’t done nearly enough to avoid the worst impacts yet to come.
The United States in particular is one of the biggest offenders in the climate crisis. In 2017, former President Donald Trump withdrew the country from the Paris Agreement, which was arguably the most important international legislative effort to combat climate change. In his statement on withdrawing from the accord, Trump claimed that the economic cost of slowing global warming was not worth it.
Many opponents of climate legislation often take this position. A popular article in the conservative magazine National Affairs claims that dealing with climate change is a “complex question,” and should be left to the private sector (i.e., the government should let the free market take care of it).
The narrative that climate change is a “complicated” issue has been meticulously crafted by corporations seeking to avoid regulation. The idea behind it is simple: If Americans believe an issue is complicated, they will avoid addressing it.
The phrase “It’s complicated” is inherently dismissive. It’s used in conversation to avoid further explanation, or to explain one’s position on an issue without having to justify it. “It’s complicated” is especially effective as an argumentative tactic. If you disagree with someone, but don’t actually have any evidence to back it up, making the issue seem complicated is the perfect response — it immediately makes your opponent’s argument seem simple and naive.
Perhaps the most well known use of the phrase comes from people justifying Israel’s operation in Gaza. With over 40,000 Palestinians dead in addition to credible allegations of war crimes, supporters of Israel’s operation are faced with the difficult task of defending the continuation of a slaughter. Unsurprisingly, the most popular way to do so is to simply dismiss the conversation entirely.
There are a couple obvious reasons why Israel is not ending their assault: Around 60 Israeli hostages are still living in captivity, Hamas has not been entirely eradicated and the assault itself has led to increased hostility from neighboring countries. However, while these issues are enough to claim the issue is “complicated,” they are not nearly enough to justify the 130 people killed per day on average in Gaza.
While the situation may seem complicated, the reality is simple. Tens of thousands of people have died, most of whom are non-combatants. The United States is sending billions of dollars to Israel and is Israel’s biggest source of arms, both of which continue to contribute to an unprecedented civilian death rate. Cutting off this funding would cripple Israel’s ability to continue their assault, thereby crippling their ability to kill civilians. Preventing civilian deaths is as simple as choosing to spend billions of American tax dollars elsewhere.
“It’s complicated” is the perfect encapsulation of American passivity. It allows everyday citizens to look away from injustice without thinking about it and allows politicians to support atrocities without having to justify them. It’s one of the most powerful phrases of our time, but it’s also one of the weakest things one can say.
