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BrutalistMcDonalds
Oct 4, 2012


Lipstick Apathy

fool of sound posted:

Also, 9/11 was overwhelmingly civilian while the Israeli victims are overwhelmingly soldiers. I don't think that distinction means much to Israel (if anything they clearly give way more of a poo poo about their soldiers than their civilians), but it's important to note when discussing if the things Israel calls terrorism are actually terrorism.
There was a suicide bombing campaign 20 years ago that targeted civilians. The bombers would get on busses and blow themselves up during the morning commute. But "terrorist" is a pejorative term that refers to a tactic -- and it's always the "other guy" who does it. What you can probably say about terrorism is that it uses terror as a force multiplier by randomly injecting chaos to create fear for a desired effect like driving people out. Chaos = good. Destruction = good. In other words, it's to create a situation where "everything is hosed up." Hamas does it. Israel does it. (States do it too.) The Battle of Algiers is a good movie about it. I like Marx's line about how "we will make no excuses for the terror." I think he understood that it's a normal thing that happens in war.

It's also helpful to know that chaos and terror (and stochastic terror) are a science. They can be studied, analyzed and predicted. A good example is noise vs. music. We like predictable progression and get nervous when music doesn't make sense. Think of boybands vs. jazz music. Some people like jazz like some people like chaos. Speaking of music and terrorism, this is a Palestinian music video openly and proudly encouraging stochastic terrorism (open fire... and be the revolution yourself):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28Bmu9sS4Oo

This Israeli music video meanwhile has three million views, which is a lot for a Hebrew rap video glorifying state terrorism inflicted on civilians. That's one way to deal with chaos: go full sociopath and not give a poo poo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpoX7w2RayQ

It's like a reaction to order and modernism. The problem for normal, ordinary, boring folks is how to deal with it. The media (and its slutty handmaiden, social media) also embrace the stochastic chaos because it confuses people to see so many bad things happening. Fearmongering! Live at 11. I think the solution is to learn how to deal with chaos, or recognize and understand the patterns in what seems like chaos or a lack of structure is actually a deliberate attempt to create chaos to achieve a desired end state or to force a reaction.

BrutalistMcDonalds fucked around with this message at 08:04 on May 7, 2024

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DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007

Jai Guru Dave posted:

I just strolled over to Wikipedia to check whether more Palestinians were killed and wounded than Israelis in 2021, at the peak of COVID, and to my absolute dick-shattering shock,

That'd be a sick burn if someone had actually claimed more Israelis were killed than Palestinians.

Rookersh
Aug 19, 2010

Majorian posted:

If Michigan is a necessary state for Biden to win (it probably will be), then driving down Muslim turnout for him is a bad idea. There's really no two ways about it. While I understand that widely being perceived as an anti-Zionist would also hurt his chances of being reelected, I don't buy that he had to go as all-in on the "Israel can do no wrong!" platform as he has. He could have taken a more equivocating, triangulating path, and probably wouldn't have lost nearly as many voters as he presently stands to lose. But he didn't. He went full-Zionist.

I think that was a particularly short-sighted decision on his part because now he can't back down an inch without looking like he's betraying Israel, from Zionists' perspective. My overall point is, Biden's handling of this crisis has been a textbook case of electoral malpractice. He's shot himself in the foot unnecessarily. He may still win in November, but it will be in spite of his mishandling of Israel, not because of it.

Let me rephrase this post at you.

What was the point where you decided you weren't going to vote for Biden?

Was it the response to the protestors? The continued arm shipments? The lack of response to Al-Shifa? Or some vague "he should have pulled the leash and stopped this." mantra?

Off of that, what would be the bare minimum Biden would need to do to get you to vote. The absolute bottom of the barrel thing he'd need to do to get you to pinch your nose and vote for him.

For a lot of this thread? The answer is nothing. He went too deep. For the rest, I'd say the only real thing that'd sway them is Biden stopping the conflict. A full ceasefire, right now.

Except, and this is the key point we keep circling back to, I don't think the US has that sort of power. I don't think it ever had that sort of power. Biden and Blinken have been hyping up this ceasefire deal as the real deal going back weeks, and as soon as Hamas signed it, Israel tore it to shreds while twirling their proverbial evil mustache. Their response to the US ceasefire negotiations was "that's cute, I'm shocked they actually agreed. Shame it's time to finish what we've started.". Biden and Blinken are left with a huge egg on their face, and we'll see what the response is, as Rafah was supposedly one of Biden's red lines. Israel just openly let us know they don't really care what the US thinks, and have the resources and desire to kill everyone in Rafah. And that they will achieve this goal with or without us. For them the ceasefire was just a means of toying us along.

Like this thread may be desensitized to Israel, but I don't think it's appreciated enough how naked the response to the ceasefire was. Even all the dipshit moderates on Reddit got taken aback and you've got arguments popping up across the pro Israel subs. Israel just went full mask off yesterday/today. They genuinely do not seem to stoppable by US influence.

So is there a more realistic bare minimum to appease you? Cutting all arms shipments? Cutting support for Israel at the UN? Completely divesting from Israel and wiping our hands of it, so even if they do go full death camps at least we aren't tied to it? Or do we need to move to boots on the ground to protect what's left? If a ceasefire through influence is genuinely impossible, what's your bare minimum.

People keep suggesting Biden is an idiot bumbling around, but I disagree. I think the Dems have run the numbers and realized they don't really have the tools to actually appeal to the pro Palestinian folks. So they just aren't going to. Instead they'll stick with what's working and put all the pressure on Biden. You see this in the thread already, everything is about Biden despite most of Congress being complicit/even more supportive. Because that's the game plan. If Biden wins in November it's not like he's actually going to run again post 2028 so it doesn't really matter if everyone hates him. People have short memories. Hell, click through most of the profiles in this thread and you'll see just how short. The few people that have actually been here since Cast Lead only really start posting after major events, and usually a few weeks/months into the event. Most people have only started posting in December/January, and are fresh from the Ukraine threads. Give them something new to worry about and they'll move right past Gaza into whatever comes next, and just keep a chip on their shoulder for Biden and just Biden.

team overhead smash
Sep 2, 2006

Team-Forest-Tree-Dog:
Smashing your way into our hearts one skylight at a time

Rookersh posted:

Let me rephrase this post at you.

What was the point where you decided you weren't going to vote for Biden?

Was it the response to the protestors? The continued arm shipments? The lack of response to Al-Shifa? Or some vague "he should have pulled the leash and stopped this." mantra?

Off of that, what would be the bare minimum Biden would need to do to get you to vote. The absolute bottom of the barrel thing he'd need to do to get you to pinch your nose and vote for him.

For a lot of this thread? The answer is nothing. He went too deep. For the rest, I'd say the only real thing that'd sway them is Biden stopping the conflict. A full ceasefire, right now.

Except, and this is the key point we keep circling back to, I don't think the US has that sort of power. I don't think it ever had that sort of power. Biden and Blinken have been hyping up this ceasefire deal as the real deal going back weeks, and as soon as Hamas signed it, Israel tore it to shreds while twirling their proverbial evil mustache. Their response to the US ceasefire negotiations was "that's cute, I'm shocked they actually agreed. Shame it's time to finish what we've started.". Biden and Blinken are left with a huge egg on their face, and we'll see what the response is, as Rafah was supposedly one of Biden's red lines. Israel just openly let us know they don't really care what the US thinks, and have the resources and desire to kill everyone in Rafah. And that they will achieve this goal with or without us. For them the ceasefire was just a means of toying us along.

Like this thread may be desensitized to Israel, but I don't think it's appreciated enough how naked the response to the ceasefire was. Even all the dipshit moderates on Reddit got taken aback and you've got arguments popping up across the pro Israel subs. Israel just went full mask off yesterday/today. They genuinely do not seem to stoppable by US influence.

So is there a more realistic bare minimum to appease you? Cutting all arms shipments? Cutting support for Israel at the UN? Completely divesting from Israel and wiping our hands of it, so even if they do go full death camps at least we aren't tied to it? Or do we need to move to boots on the ground to protect what's left? If a ceasefire through influence is genuinely impossible, what's your bare minimum.

People keep suggesting Biden is an idiot bumbling around, but I disagree. I think the Dems have run the numbers and realized they don't really have the tools to actually appeal to the pro Palestinian folks. So they just aren't going to. Instead they'll stick with what's working and put all the pressure on Biden. You see this in the thread already, everything is about Biden despite most of Congress being complicit/even more supportive. Because that's the game plan. If Biden wins in November it's not like he's actually going to run again post 2028 so it doesn't really matter if everyone hates him. People have short memories. Hell, click through most of the profiles in this thread and you'll see just how short. The few people that have actually been here since Cast Lead only really start posting after major events, and usually a few weeks/months into the event. Most people have only started posting in December/January, and are fresh from the Ukraine threads. Give them something new to worry about and they'll move right past Gaza into whatever comes next, and just keep a chip on their shoulder for Biden and just Biden.

Just to check, do you mean the US doesn’t have that sort of power or Biden doesn’t have that sort of power? I could buy arguments about Biden’s options being limited due to his need to keep congress onside to pass any sort of agenda, etc, but in terms of the powers that the US could use it hasn’t touched even a fraction of them.

You yourself name plenty and I think my analysis and most people’s analysis is that the reason Israel is so confident in ignoring the US position is not because the potential power that the US could bring to bear is insufficient, but because Israel is confident that if it does whatever it wants without committing genocide in the most obvious ways (literally proclaiming that’s what they are doing) then the US will forebear to use any kind of sanctions or serious threat. My analysis and probably Israel’s is that almost no matter what they will do, the US will continue to offer them diplomatic and material support.

Failed Imagineer
Sep 22, 2018
While the rest of the rap community is discoursing on Drake's BBL, the only high-profile name dropping a track in solidarity with Palestine is...Macklemore?

https://twitter.com/SaeedDiCaprio/status/1787650530669400393?t=brIDqi31fGD-FiGre6AmBw&s=19

VitalSigns
Sep 3, 2011

Majorian posted:


I think that was a particularly short-sighted decision on his part because now he can't back down an inch without looking like he's betraying Israel, from Zionists' perspective.
It's not short-sighted, his actions are exactly in line with his priorities. Biden has always been a committed Zionist and a massive racist who attacked Ronald Reagan for not cosigning the slaughter of Arab women and children enough. If you could somehow show him ironclad proof that he would only win if he made Israel back down some, I believe he'd set his jaw and say losing to Trump is worth it. He's very principled about this, it's just that has his principles are evil.

It's interesting that the defense of the man is the he's totally unprincipled and is doing all this evil to turn Florida blue so he can hold on to personal power. And I do agree the people excusing his actions because they're afraid of losing are being short-sighted.

But not just short-sighted, I mean, Israelis have taken criticism on this page for being nationalist and racist and fascist and described as uniquely evil, but like... aren't plenty of good liberal Americans and Europeans supporting the exact atrocities right now, not even because of nationalism or Manifest Destiny or personal fear of rocket attacks, but because they think bombing hospitals will win their team a political victory? How is that any different. It's even the same racism underneath if you look closely, tell someone to blow up an orphanage in their town to help a political party they might balk, but if the kids inside are Palestinian, well...

VitalSigns
Sep 3, 2011

Israelis aren't uniquely stained, they're people, colonizing land that belongs to other people and they sound just like every human who has ever done that sounded.

Americans, Canadians, Boers, etc all talked about the indigenous people they were fighting the exact same way, and the only reason most, say, Americans or Canadians don't sound like that anymore is because they won and don't have to kill them anymore and thus have no need to dehumanize them.

If Native Americans still had the numbers and ability to resist, North Americans would sound exactly like Israelis and the exact same excuses would be offered for it. 100 Americans died to Sioux attacks last year, we're scared, it's a cycle of radicalization, they don't care about their kids because they keep counter-attacking knowing what we will do in response, etc.

Barrel Cactaur
Oct 6, 2021

Jai Guru Dave posted:

Never Say Never Again

Oy oy thunderballs belongs in the trump legal trouble thread.

tristeham
Jul 31, 2022

6 months into the genocide it's probably time to start banning posters who post MEMRI as a source.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute

Ravenfood
Nov 4, 2011

tristeham posted:

6 months into the genocide it's probably time to start banning posters who post MEMRI as a source.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute

We need a different way to discuss the rapidly accelerated genocide, since while it is clear that the pace of genocide has increased, we are far more than "6 months" into genocide.

punishedkissinger
Sep 20, 2017

tristeham posted:

6 months into the genocide it's probably time to start banning posters who post MEMRI as a source.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute

I'm gonna let it slide this time but going forward please do not repost MEMRI. It is Israeli state-affiliated propaganda with the raison d'etre of making Arabic speakers appear as barbaric as possible. The translations are at best incredibly dubious.

VitalSigns
Sep 3, 2011

Bar Ran Dun posted:


It’s hosed for the same reasons the 14 words racists are hosed up. It’s hosed up for the same reason the justification Russia used to invade Ukraine is hosed up “while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns. Its military machine is moving and, as I said, is approaching our very border.”

I'm wondering if the same criticism of "dualistic thinking" applies to the Russia/Ukraine situation as well as to Israel/Palestine.

Are Ukrainians contributing to the "cycle of radicalization" by counterattacking against Russians invading their country? Do we also need to ponder whether Ukrainians love their children since they have to know that Russia commits atrocities against those who fight back?

Szarrukin
Sep 29, 2021

tristeham posted:

6 months into the genocide it's probably time to start banning posters who post MEMRI as a source.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute

That's weird way to spell "76 years into the genocide"

BrutalistMcDonalds
Oct 4, 2012


Lipstick Apathy

tristeham posted:

6 months into the genocide it's probably time to start banning posters who post MEMRI as a source.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_East_Media_Research_Institute
I didn't even post the Flying Bus Rooftops song by the Al-Wa'ed Band but it seems like it's only on Vimeo now. It's interesting how a song about :happyelf: can have such a good beat.

https://vimeo.com/466472621

Terror doesn't have borders or.... logic. Just opportunities. Some experts look to psychology to define, identify and reduce terrorism. Sorry. State-induced racism, religious or ethnic intolerance and outrage do a great job to wind normal people up. Israel is an author of it. You make non-violent resistance impossible through your own terror, it's no surprise this is what you get. Bulging youth bell curves and nihilist agendas also help. It's a reality in the world and banning me because this unsettles you won't change that. Israel went through a terrorist attack but now the world is questioning how repeated Israeli attacks on aid for civilians is not terrorism. Suffice to say, the West is not training the new generation of coders or liberals in Gaza.

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

BrutalistMcDonalds fucked around with this message at 17:44 on May 7, 2024

Bel Shazar
Sep 14, 2012

VitalSigns posted:

Oh I agree, I just don't think he will abandon the intervention in Ukraine no matter what he says om the campaign trail. It's just too important to the ruling class.

Republicans held up Ukraine funding long enough that I don't believe this is the case. I think they'll happily leave Ukraine out to dry so long as they're aware of it early and can take up the appropriate short positions to capitalize on the move.

Herstory Begins Now
Aug 5, 2003
SOME REALLY TEDIOUS DUMB SHIT THAT SUCKS ASS TO READ ->>

BrutalistMcDonalds posted:

I didn't even post the Flying Bus Rooftops song by the Al-Wa'ed Band but it seems like it's only on Vimeo now. It's interesting how a song about :happyelf: can have such a good beat.

https://vimeo.com/466472621

Terror doesn't have borders or.... logic. Just opportunities. Some experts look to psychology to define, identify and reduce terrorism. Sorry. State-induced racism, religious or ethnic intolerance and outrage do a great job to wind normal people up. Israel is an author of it. You make non-violent resistance impossible through your own terror, it's no surprise this is what you get. Bulging youth bell curves and nihilist agendas also help. It's a reality in the world and banning me because this unsettles you won't change that. Israel went through a terrorist attack but now the world is questioning how repeated Israeli attacks on aid for civilians is not terrorism. Suffice to say, the West is not training the new generation of coders or liberals in Gaza.

what the gently caress are you on about, did you read what was posted in response to you?

Civilized Fishbot
Apr 3, 2011

punishedkissinger posted:

I'm gonna let it slide this time but going forward please do not repost MEMRI. It is Israeli state-affiliated propaganda with the raison d'etre of making Arabic speakers appear as barbaric as possible. The translations are at best incredibly dubious.

My understanding is that at some point MEMRI transitioned from doing mostly outrageous translations of credible figures to doing mostly credible translations of outrageous figures, or maybe outrageous translations of outrageous figures. But at least in addition to the translation issues, they pick out the Alex Jones of Egypt or David Duke of Lebanon to try to paint Arabs or Muslims worldwide as scary extremists

EDIT: vvv Completely Agree vvv

Civilized Fishbot fucked around with this message at 19:28 on May 7, 2024

punishedkissinger
Sep 20, 2017

Civilized Fishbot posted:

My understanding is that at some point MEMRI transitioned from doing mostly outrageous translations of credible figures to doing mostly credible translations of outrageous figures, or maybe outrageous translations of outrageous figures. But at least in addition to the translation issues, they pick out the Alex Jones of Egypt or David Duke of Lebanon to try to paint Arabs or Muslims worldwide as scary extremists

I think in either case it's not the kind of source that is going to lead to useful discussion in this thread

Dante80
Mar 23, 2015

Israeli official said to threaten bigger Rafah op, slam mediators as being on Hamas’s side

The Kan public broadcaster quotes an unnamed Israeli official involved in the hostage deal negotiations as slamming Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their conduct in the talks so far, charging that “the mediators acted fully on Hamas’s side.”

“If there is no change of approach by the mediators and Hamas, we are on the way to an expansion of the [military] activities in Rafah,” the official says, adding that Hamas’s new counter-proposal “is a non-starter for us.”

OctaMurk
Jun 21, 2013

Dante80 posted:

Israeli official said to threaten bigger Rafah op, slam mediators as being on Hamas’s side

The Kan public broadcaster quotes an unnamed Israeli official involved in the hostage deal negotiations as slamming Egypt, Qatar and the United States for their conduct in the talks so far, charging that “the mediators acted fully on Hamas’s side.”

“If there is no change of approach by the mediators and Hamas, we are on the way to an expansion of the [military] activities in Rafah,” the official says, adding that Hamas’s new counter-proposal “is a non-starter for us.”


The official is Benjamin Netanyahu lol

VitalSigns
Sep 3, 2011

Bel Shazar posted:

Republicans held up Ukraine funding long enough that I don't believe this is the case. I think they'll happily leave Ukraine out to dry so long as they're aware of it early and can take up the appropriate short positions to capitalize on the move.

I guess I am a little more cynical because it looked like the kind of theater congress does all the time to me. "Look how hard we're fighting against this war, but oh look we want to do this other war too, guess we have to cut a deal and do both, oopsies!" They didn't have to give in on Ukraine to get money for Israel, everyone knows the Democrats will never ever let Israel go without funds. The GOP could have gotten an Israel-only bill if they really wanted one.


Hey if it turns out Trump and the GOP aren't lying for once and they really are against doing yet another pointless war no one will be happier than me, but I don't see it from their track record. How many years did they pretend to be against bombing Syria when Obama did it, and what's one of the first things Trump does in office? Bombs Syria. How many times did Trump attack the neocons who did Iraq in his campaign and then who did he fill his cabinet with: the neocons who did Iraq.

Outside of Trump's word, there's really no reason to believe he'll do anything different in Ukraine or Israel, but I guess that's a factor of the two-party system. People want to feel like the other guy will be different, feels bad to say there's no better alternative, even if it's true.

VitalSigns fucked around with this message at 20:26 on May 7, 2024

Goatse James Bond
Mar 28, 2010

If you see me posting please remind me that I have Charlie Work in the reports forum to do instead
Good news: recent pre-Rafah-invasion slight stepping up of aid means the food situation is less bad than expected. Bad news: that's because what was expected was north Gaza reaching the bar for the UN to officially announce a famine before now, and it's merely extremely imminent.

https://apnews.com/article/gaza-famine-world-food-program-israel-hamas-war-476941bf2dc259f85a706408b2a665ff

quote:

According to the IPC, an area is considered to be in famine when three things occur: 20% of households have an extreme lack of food, or essentially starving; at least 30% of children suffer from acute malnutrition or wasting, meaning they’re too thin for their height; and two adults or four children per every 10,000 people are dying daily of hunger and its complications.

In northern Gaza, the first condition of extreme lack of food has been met, senior WFP spokesman Steve Taravella told The Associated Press. The second condition of child acute malnutrition is nearly met, he said. But the death rate could not be verified.

Doing so is difficult. Aid groups note that Israeli airstrikes and raids have devastated medical facilities in northern Gaza and displaced much of the population. Along with restrictions on access, they complicate the ability to formally collect data on deaths.

A document explaining famine published in March by the IPC noted, however, that an area can be classified as “famine with reasonable evidence” if two of the three thresholds have been reached and analysts believe from available evidence that the third likely has been reached.

“The bottom line is that people are practically dying from a lack of food, water and medicines. If we are waiting for the moment when all the facts are in hand to verify the final conditions to scientifically declare a famine, it would be after thousands of people have perished,” Taravella said.

...

HOW TO AVERT A FAMINE

Humanitarian groups say it will be difficult to deliver life-saving aid without a cease-fire. Even with a pause in fighting, some experts say the situation in northern Gaza will have life-lasting consequences, especially for newborns and pregnant women.

While Israel has allowed more aid in recent weeks under international pressure, a humanitarian official for the U.S. Agency for International Development told the AP that since March, northern Gaza has not received anything like the aid needed to stave off famine. USAID made the official available on condition of the official’s anonymity, citing security concerns over his work in conflict.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken has welcomed Israel’s recent steps to increase deliveries but stressed such moves must be sustained. That’s not easy. Israel on Sunday closed its main crossing point for delivering aid after a Hamas attack killed soldiers.

koolkal
Oct 21, 2008

this thread maybe doesnt have room for 2 green xbox one avs

VitalSigns posted:

I guess I am a little more cynical because it looked like the kind of theater congress does all the time to me. "Look how hard we're fighting against this war, but oh look we want to do this other war too, guess we have to cut a deal and do both, oopsies!" They didn't have to give in on Ukraine to get money for Israel, everyone knows the Democrats will never ever let Israel go without funds. The GOP could have gotten an Israel-only bill if they really wanted one.


Hey if it turns out Trump and the GOP aren't lying for once and they really are against doing yet another pointless war no one will be happier than me, but I don't see it from their track record. How many years did they pretend to be against bombing Syria when Obama did it, and what's one of the first things Trump does in office? Bombs Syria. How many times did Trump attack the neocons who did Iraq in his campaign and then who did he fill his cabinet with: the neocons who did Iraq.

Outside of Trump's word, there's really no reason to believe he'll do anything different in Ukraine or Israel, but I guess that's a factor of the two-party system. People want to feel like the other guy will be different, feels bad to there's no better alternative.

Listen, if you're saying the 212-212 failed vote on the fisa warrants for domestic spying amendment wasn't a real voting outcome, you're clearly a conspiracy theorist.

Bar Ran Dun
Jan 22, 2006




The source of the clip is a pretty different issue than the point BM is making though.

It’s a different type of discussion. It’s about the dynamics of systems that produced and led up the current I/P situation and the roles of the parties involved in those dynamics.

That the Israelis aren’t backing down from genocide might make the discussion BM is trying to have impossible while things are in the event, even though argument he’s making ultimately puts the blame on us (the west) and the Israelis.

VitalSigns posted:

I'm wondering if the same criticism of "dualistic thinking" applies to the Russia/Ukraine situation as well as to Israel/Palestine.

Probably! But I need to get my poo poo together and start that other thread I keep taking about /starting.

So until I get that done… I’ll update y’all on a mariners perspective of the piers stuff as it continues to happen here and / or USCE. But I’m not going to post about… well anything else anywhere on the forums until I get that other thread started.

Celexi
Nov 25, 2006

Slava Ukraini!
up in youtube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgDQyFeBBIo

Your Brain on Hugs
Aug 20, 2006
It feels like the US defunding UNRWA has sort of been forgotten, but it seems to me at least like it's extremely significant in terms of the ongoing famine in Gaza. Also seems like an extremely clear violation of the ICJs recommendations about not contributing to genocide. With what the US has been saying about the ICC though, it's clear they don't feel bound by institutions like that at all.

I wonder what effects this is going to have in the coming decade. I feel like the US is openly making GBS threads all over even the pretence of the rules based international order in a way they were previously smart enough to avoid. Soft power has always been a huge tool in the US's maintenance of their hegemony, I feel like they might have degraded it significantly, but time will tell.

Bar Ran Dun
Jan 22, 2006




Speak of the devil.

Pier built, needs installed, weather bad delaying install

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3768093/floating-piers-cargo-ship-with-aid-for-gaza-face-weather-delays/

The MV Sagamore will apparently be doing the deliveries. Looks like it’s alongsides in Cyprus loading or waiting to load.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:145203/mmsi:368160000/imo:9322009/vessel:SAGAMORE

FlamingLiberal
Jan 18, 2009

Would you like to play a game?



Your Brain on Hugs posted:

It feels like the US defunding UNRWA has sort of been forgotten, but it seems to me at least like it's extremely significant in terms of the ongoing famine in Gaza. Also seems like an extremely clear violation of the ICJs recommendations about not contributing to genocide. With what the US has been saying about the ICC though, it's clear they don't feel bound by institutions like that at all.

I wonder what effects this is going to have in the coming decade. I feel like the US is openly making GBS threads all over even the pretence of the rules based international order in a way they were previously smart enough to avoid. Soft power has always been a huge tool in the US's maintenance of their hegemony, I feel like they might have degraded it significantly, but time will tell.
On top of that, there was the World Kitchen bombing, which caused a lot of the other non-UNRWA groups in Gaza to reassess their operations there. The whole thing is insanely hosed up, and it sure seems like even the backlash from the aid workers getting killed didn't move the needle in the WH at all.

skipmyseashells
Nov 14, 2020

Bar Ran Dun posted:

Speak of the devil.

Pier built, needs installed, weather bad delaying install

https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/3768093/floating-piers-cargo-ship-with-aid-for-gaza-face-weather-delays/

The MV Sagamore will apparently be doing the deliveries. Looks like it’s alongsides in Cyprus loading or waiting to load.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:145203/mmsi:368160000/imo:9322009/vessel:SAGAMORE

You posted about this last week saying it was gonna be done by now, and I assume next week you’ll report more of this stuff that’s never gonna materialize when israel is refusing aid from the trucks

(USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)

FlamingLiberal
Jan 18, 2009

Would you like to play a game?



I'm wondering how the aid pier is even going to work now that Rafah is being invaded (which is where most of the civilians are) and the IDF is telling Palestinians to move back to another part of Gaza that they already bombed to rubble and has no infrastructure.

Celexi
Nov 25, 2006

Slava Ukraini!

FlamingLiberal posted:

I'm wondering how the aid pier is even going to work now that Rafah is being invaded (which is where most of the civilians are) and the IDF is telling Palestinians to move back to another part of Gaza that they already bombed to rubble and has no infrastructure.

it's the equivalent of gifting a poor person with no gas or electric service a stove and calling it good on helping that person.

Bar Ran Dun
Jan 22, 2006




skipmyseashells posted:

You posted about this last week saying it was gonna be done by now, and I assume next week you’ll report more of this stuff that’s never gonna materialize when israel is refusing aid from the trucks

Excuse me, I posted the dod advising the weather delays during the construction.

You know you can look up the weather conditions to tell if they’re lying or not.

Paladinus
Jan 11, 2014

heyHEYYYY!!!

Your Brain on Hugs posted:

It feels like the US defunding UNRWA has sort of been forgotten, but it seems to me at least like it's extremely significant in terms of the ongoing famine in Gaza. Also seems like an extremely clear violation of the ICJs recommendations about not contributing to genocide. With what the US has been saying about the ICC though, it's clear they don't feel bound by institutions like that at all.

I wonder what effects this is going to have in the coming decade. I feel like the US is openly making GBS threads all over even the pretence of the rules based international order in a way they were previously smart enough to avoid. Soft power has always been a huge tool in the US's maintenance of their hegemony, I feel like they might have degraded it significantly, but time will tell.

My understanding is that in the short term, it's not that significant because the next payment is only due this summer (I believe it's true for America, Germany, and EU). The main problem right now is less with funding and more with Israel interfering in various ways with aid getting into Gaza and problems of getting aid directly to people in an active war zone in general. In the long term, of course, if the conflict continues for another half a year with the same intensity and funding doesn't resume, even though some countries increased their contributions and other agencies and orgs try to fill in where possible, UNRWA will run out of money and it is bound to have tremendous and horrifying repercussions for the region, as hundreds of thousands of Palestinians in Gazan refugee camps depend on UNRWA for basic needs.

Neon Belly
Feb 12, 2008

I need something stronger.

VitalSigns posted:

I guess I am a little more cynical because it looked like the kind of theater congress does all the time to me. "Look how hard we're fighting against this war, but oh look we want to do this other war too, guess we have to cut a deal and do both, oopsies!" They didn't have to give in on Ukraine to get money for Israel, everyone knows the Democrats will never ever let Israel go without funds. The GOP could have gotten an Israel-only bill if they really wanted one.


Hey if it turns out Trump and the GOP aren't lying for once and they really are against doing yet another pointless war no one will be happier than me, but I don't see it from their track record. How many years did they pretend to be against bombing Syria when Obama did it, and what's one of the first things Trump does in office? Bombs Syria. How many times did Trump attack the neocons who did Iraq in his campaign and then who did he fill his cabinet with: the neocons who did Iraq.

Outside of Trump's word, there's really no reason to believe he'll do anything different in Ukraine or Israel, but I guess that's a factor of the two-party system. People want to feel like the other guy will be different, feels bad to say there's no better alternative, even if it's true.

The GOP tried for a standalone Israel only aid bill. It failed on the floor.

VitalSigns
Sep 3, 2011

Neon Belly posted:

The GOP tried for a standalone Israel only aid bill. It failed on the floor.

There were several attempts but if you mean this it got a majority but oops they used a procedure that requires a supermajority. Wow weird how could they be so incompetent, oh well let's give up.

Congress does stuff like that a lot. They also voted to repeal Obamacare 40 times and then didn't do it when they had control.

If the GOP had dug their heels in on an Israel only bill the Democrats would have had to cave or their AIPAC friends don't get the money. The GOP held all the cards and they chose not to win. That's all you need to know.

And anyway the filibuster exists, even if it does pass the house and gets to a Republican controlled senate unless Republicans are willing to get rid of the filibuster, it won't pass, and if they aren't willing to stand firm then Ukraine will get the money too.

VitalSigns fucked around with this message at 02:09 on May 8, 2024

Neurolimal
Nov 3, 2012
https://twitter.com/SxarletRed/status/1787884148096442684

Hamas is 37 years old.

Civilized Fishbot
Apr 3, 2011

There are plenty of 37 year old antisemites. Hamas isn't among them - like many people and parties who embrace anti-Jewish politics in their younger years, Hamas learned to drop that poo poo for a number of reasons: because it was necessary to achieve respect from relevant institutions, because they released it was not relevant to the goals that were really important to them, or because they no longer needed the obscene bigotry to keep up morale and a sense of belongingness. Rewriting their charter to take out the vulgar Jew-hatred was like when an ex-skinhead gets his Nazi tattoos covered up/laser-removed. A beautiful moment, even if it's at least partially for self-interested reasons.

I think Azov Battalion is currently undergoing this process, I know a lot of American teens and twenty-somethings always are.

But your line of thought that an institution can't be animated by an idea older that itself - stupid. Colonialism, Zionism, and racism are all much older than the State of Israel, does that mean it's not driven by those?

Biden belongs in a cell at the Hague.

Civilized Fishbot fucked around with this message at 03:24 on May 8, 2024

Neurolimal
Nov 3, 2012
I wouldn't say there exists an 'ancient desire' to exterminate Jews, in Palestine or the Middle East. From what I understand, significant antisemitism in the region is fairly recent, for certain reasons, otherwise the persecution has been in the same range of broad proselytizing for Islam, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Hellenistic Paganism, etcetera. There were wars against Judaic civilizations, but they typically fell under quelling revolts (Rome) or seeking to convert those of other religions (Umar). One such instance of the latter resulted in modern Palestinians.

You could argue that he's just referring to a vague and abstract miasma of antisemitism, but there's a far better argument to be made WRT genocidal antisemitism in Europe/West. For some fairly obvious reasons. And it's in rather poor taste for the West to project those sins into a larger pro-Israel narrative that involves Hamas.

I'm open to arguments otherwise, I won't pretend to know everything about the history of the region, but that's what I understand of it.

All this is to say, I don't think Biden is a historical nor religious scholar. I believe he's referring to Arabs. Hamas is Palestinian who are Arabs, and Arabs hate Jews. In the same speech he denounced the protests. We're back to the Bush era.

Neurolimal fucked around with this message at 03:34 on May 8, 2024

Civilized Fishbot
Apr 3, 2011

Neurolimal posted:

I wouldn't say there exists an 'ancient desire' to exterminate Jews...

Interesting post, I mostly agree with it.

Hamas put together some pretty old sources in that original charter. They include that Hadith about how every rock and tree is going to help Muslims kill the Jews, it might not date back to Muhammad but it probably does date back to the earliest centuries of Islam. If you wanted to do the orientalist argument that Hamas is merely acting out some ancient Arab fantasy of killing all the Jews, you'd focus on this. Many people do, for that reason.

But the tone of most of the rhetoric against Jews in that charter is NOT reminiscent of that Hadith, it doesn't have end-of-times religious undertones. Instead it rants about how Jews run the world and must be exposed and expelled, exemplified by its use of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which isn't very old, but which is emblematic of that ancient nativist-conspiracist strand of European antisemitism.

Like you said, vicious, pogromist antisemitism is not indigenous to the Middle East, at least not from before the success of Zionism totally warped cultural and political stances toward Judaism. But when a demand for that sort of rhetoric arose among enemies of the Israeli state, Europe was able to supply it, and it really did come finely aged.

So if Biden had said that Hamas circa the 1990s was driven by an ancient desire to kick out the Jews, he'd be technically correct - the only issue being that, like you say, the obvious implication is some Orientalist idea that Muslims intrinsically hate Jews in this way. But "Jews run the world and secretly plot to destroy us all, we must purify our nation of them" is something Hamas imported, not inherited. The ancient desire wasn't passed down from Arab to Arab but from Spainard to Englishman to Pole to Russian etc. And then Hamas bought it at a used book store.

But he's not correct saying it today, because at age 29, Hamas expunged that rhetoric because it no longer met their needs. A cynical ideologue could say they actually decolonized themselves from Western bigotry, but I think that's giving them too little credit as political actors. They made an ugly rational choice to adopt Jew-hating rhetoric when it was useful to them, and a beautiful rational choice to discard it when it wasn't anymore.

Civilized Fishbot fucked around with this message at 04:10 on May 8, 2024

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DeadlyMuffin
Jul 3, 2007

Civilized Fishbot posted:

Interesting post, I mostly agree with it.

Hamas put together some pretty old sources in that original charter. They include that Hadith about how every rock and tree is going to help Muslims kill the Jews, it might not date back to Muhammad but it probably does date back to the earliest centuries of Islam. If you wanted to do the orientalist argument that Hamas is merely acting out some ancient Arab fantasy of killing all the Jews, you'd focus on this. Many people do, for that reason.

But the tone of most of the rhetoric against Jews in that charter is NOT reminiscent of that Hadith, it doesn't have end-of-times religious undertones. Instead it rants about how Jews run the world and must be exposed and expelled, exemplified by its use of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which isn't very old, but which is emblematic of that ancient nativist-conspiracist strand of European antisemitism.

Like you said, vicious, pogromist antisemitism is not indigenous to the Middle East, at least not from before the success of Zionism totally warped cultural and political stances toward Judaism. But when a demand for that sort of rhetoric arose among enemies of the Israeli state, Europe was able to supply it, and it really did come finely aged.

So if Biden had said that Hamas circa the 1990s was driven by an ancient desire to kick out the Jews, he'd be technically correct - the only issue being that, like you say, the obvious implication is some Orientalist idea that Muslims intrinsically hate Jews in this way. But "Jews run the world and secretly plot to destroy us all, we must purify our nation of them" is something Hamas imported, not inherited. The ancient desire wasn't passed down from Arab to Arab but from Spainard to Englishman to Pole to Russian etc. And then Hamas bought it at a used book store.

But he's not correct saying it today, because at age 29, Hamas expunged that rhetoric because it no longer met their needs. A cynical ideologue could say they actually decolonized themselves from Western bigotry, but I think that's giving them too little credit as political actors. They made an ugly rational choice to adopt Jew-hating rhetoric when it was useful to them, and a beautiful rational choice to discard it when it wasn't anymore.

A cynical person would say they took out the antisemitic rhetoric because they were taking flak for it, not because they didn't actually believe it in the first place.

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