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The Lurking Ophelia's avatar

This is one of your best pieces by far. Cuts right to the heart of narrative management, as well as the contradictions with pro-Israel rhetoric. I have to keep Rule 2, Rule 8 and 9 in mind at an alarming frequency, haha.

Thanks so much for your principled reporting on Israel/Palestine, it's really a beacon of sanity in these hyperreal times.

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Stan Sylvester's avatar

"To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you may not criticize." Voltaire

Yup.....

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Feral Finster's avatar

That quote is often attributed to Voltaire, but in fact appears to have originated with some white supremacist.

No matter its provenance, it appears to accurately describe observable reality.

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Stan Sylvester's avatar

Agree! Thanks for the additional info.

Stan in TN

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Feral Finster's avatar

No worries. Sorry if I came off as a pedant.

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Elisabeth's avatar

No you don't, we ALL NEED FACTS!

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Contrarian 33's avatar

Feral, Stan.

Very observable reality indeed.

An example is the question of Israel and its nuclear stockpile, their existence never admitted to by parasitic Israel, but arranged through the death of JFK, spies like Jonathan Pollard and devious dealings with France in decades past.

Israel has stated that Iran is full of nuclear warheads, proven not to be the case, a fact known to the USA. The first Israeli to mention the existence of such weapons, Mordechai Vanunu received an 18 year sentence for his comments. Current estimations of the stockpile is 400.

But yet another example of something "unmentionable".

The greatest crime in our history is the Western media's failure to tell the truth, therefore subscribing to the holocaust and antisemitic games, murders, rapes, sniper shootings, bombings and starvation practices and almost anything that reflects badly on the hated state of Israel.

Of course, not forgetting the USA for its part in the silence as well, now paying the price with millions of US / Israeli supporting disloyal citizens (a.k.a. possible spies) throughout the country.

The sooner that the USA commence an investigation into that group, the better. Mind you, how do you get support for any such investigation with 86% of politicians on the AIPAC Israeli payroll., attending all the AIPAC Conferences and enthusiastically supporting visits by the unofficial Controller of the USA, Netanyahu.

What a country. What a world.

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Michael  Lynch's avatar

And let’s not forget the recurring warnings—dating back to at least 1993—that Iran was supposedly "merely months away" from developing nuclear weapons, a foreboding narrative that, much like the looming WMD claims against Iraq under another war‑monger/leader, never came to pass.

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Contrarian 33's avatar

It would seem to me, Michael, that the more senior one becomes in governments, the greater the level of lies.

How people like Bush and Powell can avoid prosecution in this day and age is beyond my understanding of justice. Bush still lauded wherever he goes. but obviously avoiding placed like Dealey Plaza, Dallas, in his travels. Then when you add in the likes of the mentally diminished Biden, next to Netanyahu, the greatest criminal in my lifetime, who encouraged all the Gaza crimes to continue, a man who hides behind his so-called devotion to the Roman Catholic Church, you have a collection of criminals like no other.

The likes of Adolph Hitler are starting to look saintly compared to the combination of Biden, Trump, Bush, Cheney, Netanyahu and the like.

Civilisation has not progressed under the rule of people like them.

Michael. In a map I saw yesterday of all the US military establishments in and around Iran and the Middle East in general, it begs the question how did all this hegemony begin and ...... when will it end.

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Michael  Lynch's avatar

There are literally thousands of US military installations around the globe. This is how we spend One Trillion USD + on "defense" ever fiscal year. The US Military budget is larger than the GDP of all but the top 18 other nations on earth. So from Poland on down to #193, we outspend them all, just on so called "defense". Please, tell me why we still have troops on the European Continent? No one can answer that question. Our GD political and military "leaders" cannot even give a reasonable answer to this question.

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Joy in HK fiFP's avatar

The Hind Rajab Foundation has filed a war crimes complaint in the UK over the Israeli navy’s assault on the British aid ship Madleen.

Elite Shayetet 13 commandos, under Vice Admiral David Saar Salama, raided the vessel in international waters.

Twelve unarmed civilians, including Greta Thunberg and MEP Rima Hassan, were forcibly abducted and detained.

Chemical agents were used, humanitarian aid was seized, and activists were denied legal and consular rights.

The complaint cites grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, UK law, and binding ICJ orders.

The Foundation demands the UK act urgently to free the abductees and investigate the war crimes.

This case challenges Israeli impunity and tests Britain’s commitment to international law.

We can support them here:

https://donate.stripe.com/cN228hbY5g7jaM84gg

Press Relase:

Brussels / London, 9 June 2025 — The Hind Rajab Foundation has formally filed a war crimes complaint with the Metropolitan Police War Crimes Unit (Counter Terrorism Command, SO15) concerning the Israeli naval raid on the British-flagged humanitarian vessel Madleen, which took place in international waters on 8–9 June 2025. The complaint targets the Shayetet 13 unit that executed the attack and Vice Admiral David Saar Salama who is the commander in chief of the Israeli Navy.

The Foundation has requested that UK authorities:

open a criminal investigation against the Israeli naval and political officials responsible.

You can read more about this organization, and the actions they are taking here:

https://www.hindrajabfoundation.org

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Geoff everall's avatar

Long live the brave and invaluable Hind Foundation.

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Eleanor Johnson's avatar

thanks for sharing this

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Michael  Lynch's avatar

Not the first illegal action against ships in international waters by Israel and certainly not the last. Don't forget the attack on the USS Liberty, a CIA and US Military Spy ship that was deliberately attacked by the Zionists Air Forces. The attack killed 34 and wounded 171 Americans. The US Government has swept this incident under the rug under the instructions of the Zionist Lobby to this very day, Israel says it was an "accident". There is a pattern of behavior by and toward the Zionists that stretches back decades. And yet we still "support" their every illegal and despicable action. Obviously, the USA fellates these Zionists on demand.

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@realRodster's avatar

Rule# 16 Trump is NO different than former Dementia President Joe Bidet. As lyrics from The Who song, "meet the new boss, same as the old boss".

Rule# 17 NEVER EVER trust the United States

Rule# 18 The business of the United States is War

Rule# 19 The Deep State/Shadow Government is what runs the United States, not the President or as George Carlin famously said, :forget the politicians, it's the owners of this world who own you. It's a big club and we ain't in it folks".

Rule# 20 All Empires collapse from within, Isra-Hell will one day find out when it no longer has Big Brother to protect and fund it.

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Eddie's avatar

Good summary of what society's rules are. However, I'm playing from my rules:

1. Genocide, terrorism, and racism are wrong. Period.

2. Israel and its enablers must be held accountable. Not negotiable.

3. Religion shouldn't exist.

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Joel Winter's avatar

This conflict has 0 to do with religion.

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Rod Dawson's avatar

Why do people keep saying that? How could Israelis believe Palestinians are 'subhuman animals' if they don't believe their own idiot religious superstition makes them somehow superior? Would they be butchering Palestinians if Palestinians were Jews? would Netanyahu have described Israel as 'a nation state for Jews only' if Israel had 0 to do with religion? How could a 'Jewish homeland' be anything other than a homeland for the follwers of a specific religious superstition, and not for all others? As Steven Weinberg observed: "With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil — that takes religion.”

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Eddie's avatar

Religion shouldn't exist.

And I'll add another rule:

4. Politics shouldn't exist.

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Feral Finster's avatar

Because human nature. The great tyrants of the 20th century were not conventionally religious, but their body count is what it is.

For that matter, I have seen very few Jain pirates or Amish warlords.

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Marci Sudlow's avatar

Tribalism, greed, and power mania are their motivations. Religion is one of their excuses for this behavior, another is self-defense.

Good people do not do evil. Exterminating one's neighbors does not a "good person" make.

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Joel Winter's avatar

The belief system of the Israeli genociders is Zionism, which is not related to Judaism or any other religion. If they were really following Judaism then they wouldn't be genociders. Don't confuse the actions of people for the religion itself. Study what the religion actually says about how to treat other people before you blame the religion.

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Eddie's avatar

Even though Evangelical Christians participate in it too, Zionism is real corrupted version of Judaism.

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Ron Stockton's avatar

Actually, if they were Palestinian Jews Israelis may well be butchering them. Israel is a creation of Zionists who come from European (white) Jews.

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Eddie's avatar

Israel's religion teaches people that everyone not like them, especially Arabs and Palestinians, are beneath them. Israel is also ruled by far right extremists. Also, they carry themselves as "God's Chosen People" and use it as justification to steal what they call "their land".

Religion may not have everything to do with it, but it plays a role.

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Joy in HK fiFP's avatar

Power, Profits, and Prophets make up a significant part of what we are experiencing these days. Anyone who choses to ignore any one of these, will not be able to clearly analyse what is going on, thereby rendering any suggested solution impossible.

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Iggy Ignoffo's avatar

Aren’t you forgetting the title deed given by Yahweh several thousand years ago? Also we must support the Zionists to facilitate the imminent Rapture of all the evangelical Christians! Sounds a bit religious.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Joel Winter: Are you stupid or just a bot?

When the USA is taken over by Zionist/Evangelicals do not come calling for other nations to help you out!

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Joel Winter's avatar

If you're going to comment here you should be respectful.

To reply to your comment, Zionism is not Judaism, nor is it a religion at all. I agree with you about the Evangelicals though. Their support for Israel is part of their religions beliefs.

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Vin LoPresti's avatar

My Universal Rule:

So if you meet with these historians

I'll tell you what to say

Tell them that the Nazis

Never really went away

They're out there burning houses down

And peddling racist lies

And we'll never rest again...

Until EVERY Nazi dies

ZioNazis, Bandera-Nazis, etc. etc. in every bloody corner of the known universe

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Eric Jacobson's avatar

Love those 15 rules for discussing Israeli for discussing Israeli wars. It's what all of us have encountered when we attempt to dialogue with a Zionist apologist. Empty, meaningless slogans

devoid of any truth and devised to cover for the insane criminal activity perpetrated by the state

of Israel at any given time.

"The vanquished know war. They see through the empty jingoism of those who use the

abstract words of glory, honor, and patriotism to mask the cries of the wounded, the senseless killing,, war profiterring, and chest pounding grief."--Chris Hedges

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DawnieR's avatar

GOD BLESS IRAN!

GOD BLESS PALESTINE!

GOD BLESS SYRIA!

GOD BLESS YEMEN!

GOD BLESS RUSSIA!

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DawnieR's avatar

I'd forgotten one....

GOD BLESS LEBANON!

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@realRodster's avatar

As an American, I upvoted your comment. Isra-Hell along with it's Big Brother are the bullies of this world. Eventually they will run out of money. Just take a peek at the US National debt as it continues to climb.

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DawnieR's avatar

GOD will show Satanic AmeriKa NO MERCY!!

If I had the $$$$......my ass would be moving to RUSSIA! lol

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Diana van Eyk's avatar

Too bad mainstream news is so obedient to this kind of narrative. They are culpable for so much enabling of all this killing and destruction.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Yes Diana BUT what have the USA been doing? Walking down streets engaging the enemy BUT WHO is the enemy?

Mainstream Media and if people are SO stupid to allow this to happen I have no sympathy.

Get off your arses and SHUT DOWN MSM.

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JoeMichel's avatar

Satire at its best! Thanks Caitlin for the refresher! Incredibly sad that this is indeed the mainstream reality.

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Joy in HK fiFP's avatar

March to Gaza can use your support.

We can sign up to March to Gaza, and if not able to go, those who are, can use y/our support. The march begins 21 June, 2025, that's just a few weeks from now. Perhaps we can encourage the Pope to join them.

Let him go to Gaza and stand with the suffering people who are being massacred by Israel and the Western posers. Is there anything more important in today's world than this?

https://chng.it/gkvBfY44rq

Please sign the petition and share widely.

Global March To Gaza is a civic, apolitical, and independent movement. 
We do not represent any political party, ideology, or religion. 
We represent the people, in all their diversity and humanism. 
Our only guiding principles are justice, human dignity, and peace.

https://marchtogaza.net Global March To Gaza is a civic, apolitical, and independent movement. 
We do not represent any political party, ideology, or religion. 
We represent the people, in all their diversity and humanism. 
Our only guiding principles are justice, human dignity, and peace.

https://marchtogaza.net

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Eleanor Johnson's avatar

thanks for sharing this

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Jo Waller's avatar

For 'Israel' read the 'US deep state'. The deep state (fossil fuel, animal ag, agrochemicals, tech, pharma, banking, arms and media) have a right to start WWIII to weaken Iran and cut China off from oil. The white western patriarchy has a right to dominance. They’re happy to take the world down with them rather than see someone else (especially Chinese) do better.

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JennyStokes's avatar

Correct.

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Michael  Lynch's avatar

One of your best pieces! Thank You.

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Feral Finster's avatar

Of course it's cynical. The question is,whether you let it get in your head.

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dennis hanna's avatar

Mistaken!, you are. I, however, corrected you.

Rule 1: [ The United States ] is never the aggressor. If [ The United States ] attacks someone it’s either a response to an aggression that happened in the past, or a preemptive attack to thwart an imminent aggression in the future.

Rule 2: History automatically restarts at the date of the last act of aggression against [ The United States ]. If someone attacks [ The United States ] it was completely unprovoked, because nothing happened before the attack on [ The United States ].

Rule 3: Anything bad that [ The United States ] does is justified by Rule 2. This is true even if it does things that would be considered completely unjustifiable if it were done by a nation like Russia or China.

Rule 4: [ The United States ] has a right to defend itself, but nobody else does.

Rule 5: [ The United States ] never bombs civilians, it bombs Bad Guys. If shocking numbers of civilians die it’s because they were actually Bad Guys, or because Bad Guys killed them, or because a Bad Guy stood too close to them. If none of those reasons apply then it’s for some other mysterious reason we are still waiting for the U. S. Armed Forces to investigate.

Rule 6: Criticizing anything Israel does means you hate The American People, America. There is no other possible reason for anyone to oppose acts of mass military slaughter besides a seething, obsessive hatred for the Christian Faith, A Christian People and Christian Nation.

Rule 7: Nothing [ The United States ] does is ever as bad as the hateful criticisms described in Rule 6. Criticisms of [ The United States' ] actions are always worse than [ The United States' ] actions themselves, because those critics hate Chritians and wish to commit another Pear Harbor.

Preventing this must consume 100 percent of our political energy and attention.

Rule 8: [ The United States Citizens ] are only ever the victims and never the victimizers. If [ The United States Citizens ] kill Iranians, it’s because the Iranians hate Christians, American Christians. If Iranians kill [ The United States Citizens ] it’s because the Iranians hate Christians, American Christians.

[ The United States ] is an innocent little lamb that just wants to mind its own business in peace.

Rule 9: The fact that [ The United States ] is literally always in a state of war with its neighbors and with displaced indigenous populations must be interpreted as proof that Rule 8 is true instead of proof that Rule 8 is ridiculous nonsense.

Rule 10: The lives of people in Muslim nations are much, much less important to us than western lives or [ The United States Citizens ] lives. Nobody is allowed to think too hard about why this might be.

Rule 11: The media always tell the truth about [ The United States ] and its various conflicts. If you doubt this then you are likely in violation of Rule 6.

Rule 12: Unsubstantiated claims which portray [ The United States' ] enemies in a negative light may be reported as factual news stories without any fact checking or qualifications, while extensively evidenced records of [ The United States' ] criminality must be reported on with extreme skepticism and doubtful qualifiers like “Iran claims”, “Hezbollah says” or “according to the Hamas-run health ministry”. This is important to do because otherwise you might get accused of being a propagandist.

Rule 13: [ The United States ] must continue to exist in its current iteration no matter what it costs or how many people need to die. There is no need to present any logically or morally grounded reasons why this is the case. If you dispute this then you are likely in violation of Rule 6.

Rule 14: The US government has never lied about anything ever, and is always on the right side of every conflict.

Rule 15: [ The United States ] is the last bastion of freedom and democracy in the middle east and therefore must be defended, no matter how many journalists it has to assassinate, no matter how many press institutions it needs to shut down, no matter how many protests its supporters need to dismantle, no matter how much free speech it needs to eliminate, no matter how many civil rights its western backers need to erase, and no matter how many elections its lobbyists need to buy.

Remember, "The Truth Must Always Be Kept Well Hidden."

dennis hanna

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JennyStokes's avatar

It is always interesting to me that Americans do not read long comments. Thank you for your comment I read this slowly and agree.

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Michael  Lynch's avatar

Thanks Dennis!

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Bill Astore's avatar

It's anti-Semitism all the way down.

Thanks for this refresher, Caitlin.

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