Imagine A Better World “Imagining is Resistance”: Tareq Baconi with Naomi Klein

What Gaza is being used to test and why freeing Palestine is the unfinished business of the last century. NAOMI KLEIN OCT 29, 2026

"More than 900 of you joined me live this week for a conversation with Tareq Baconi, the Palestinian writer and scholar who leads Al-Shabaka: the Palestinian Policy Network. We talked about his breathtaking new book, What Now: On Palestine, Freedom and Our Global Future, coming out November 3rd. It was the first book I read after finishing End Times Fascism, and it changed me. Here’s what I wrote for the book’s jacket:If you feel like the powerful dont want to save the world they just want to have the last word you could be right. But what about you? Are you part of this planet with its long history of errors yet beautiful. You can imagine a time when there was no people, no animals or trees or even flies. You understand that all our trees, plants, families could die off and not be missed because humans would be gone too. This would mean no memory of life as it adorns our planet with diversity. So much we humans have become careless. If this planet dies we will not be here. So what? There will be no more laughter, no paintings, no music, no birds. I know there is this vanity in my heart as if life depends on humans. Depends on stories, songs, movies, love and children. And diamonds, cows and sheep? Do you wonder why a few humans spend their energy on getting rid of people, birds and bees? Why we keep wanting more of what is useful to us. We need trees, plants, flowers and a sky above. Naomi Klein and ...... have thought deeply about us. Breathers. More have laughed at our attachment to the idea of a future. The Israelites have been here the longest. Naomi wonders why we are careless in our greed for more. Are we greedy? Are we stupid not to see that our survival depends on taking care of this planet and its gifts. And that we cannot take it all for granted. But not everyone has the ability to see how much we depend on others. We are so anxious about the little world we have built around us. Callous self interest. We forget the teachings. Math, History, Writing, Reading. Our education was not presented as instruction to save ourselves our family. In fact we are so taken by winning. We invent a story about life that starts and ends with winning. Soccer, Wealth, Philosophy, History all for the sake of winning but few instructions on how to win. Our entertainment is who wins and who loses. In a shallow collection of stories on the subject as if it is a game. forever The people who have money, history, intelligence and concern. Also have a history and vanity. Those with power have the time to ponder