I always look forward to reading your articles but they always leave me deeply disturbed. Israel’s capacity for evil is without limitation, it chills me to the bone
Even more chilling is the people of Israel are screaming Netanyahu has to go, and we want a cease fire to get the hostages back but nothing about the killing and devastation of the Palestinians. That disgusts me most of all.
Nizami: I am finding that even people who are not quite pro Israel cannot really look at the violence and fascism of Israel. They still talk about the "increase in anti-semitism" that is happening without acknowledging or considering that a lot of that so-called "anti-semitism" is about critiquing Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Even when people are having a difficult time supporting Jews who may not be Israel apologists, it is the actions of Israel and the IDF that is the cause of those sentiments.
What disgusts me is the way those dead people, women, children, old, infirm and non Israeli, have been totally ignored by the leftists.
Raped to death, think about that, think about the reaction from the people of Palestinine and many western lefties.
Cheering, celebrating, "They got what they deserved".
You lot are beyond comprehension, if a people celebrate that they don't deserve sympathy and neither do you.... so when the Muslim extremists come knocking don't expect any sympathy, or help. Sleep with dogs........
Obviously a hasbora newbie, David. Leftists? What are you talking about? Do you mean people who object to 33,000 civilians being murdered? And who was“raped to death”? You’re aware the rape fabrication has been debunked? Only extremists I’m worried about are the ones invested in Israeli murder technology. And they certainly ain’t Muslims.
True. but a genocide where you systematically want to decimate a population is a different story. Although I know too often Obama got a pass on almost everything. However lets face it Cheney was an SOB and to think his daughter could parade him with pride around the Jan 6 comm is just nauseating.
That is: (humanity + racist supremacist dehumanising indoctrination) x (engineered victimhood and righteousness + military conscription + dehumanisation via technology. The IDF are lobotomised robots. Maybe some vestige of humanity remains…
Actually, the Old Testament is a litany of barbarism by the Hebrew tribes and their murderous, psychopath god. They make a satanic duo and frankly, this is how they've always been.
Certainly, to read that book and believe it, is nuts. For anyone to think it is something they should admire, adhere to, or even believe, is beyond nuts, and very, very scary.
One can also find quite a bit of strong morality stories in the Old Testament as well - if one looks without prejudice. Religion by default, even the Jewish religion - is not all barbarism and murder - as you continually have attempted to paint it Michael Holt.
Frankly, satanism isn't really inherent in any book or religion, it can be found in human intolerance and prejudicial bigotry - secularists can be just as evil as theists. Satanism is symbolic of evil, just as mythology is symbolic of human truths. Something you fail to understand.
I have often thought that people who are religious are hypocritical when they are promoting hatred and discrimination and killing of others who do not think as they do. (think antiabortion, anti-gay, anti-immigrant etc) I don't believe in any God, but if there were a God, she/he would be very angry and distraught about what her/his humans are doing to each other.
I agree. One can find good and evil, hypocrisy in any religion or ideology or "group think". Today's dominating religion is the worship of greed and money.
Maybe there is nothing more to this sad world of ours. Reality is just a deterministic machine, our consciousness made some miraculous appearance in - that scientists even today are unable to unravel how it happened - and maybe you and I, in our ever so brief existence here will soon disappear forever. Maybe the nihilists are right in the end - life is just an accident, and the universe doesn't give a flying hoot about the screams of children being slaughtered in Gaza by sadists or the death of someone you love in a random car accident.
I don't believe in ancient millenia old religions, or the persecutorial "old white man" god depicted in the Old Testament - in a dusty bible written 2,000 years ago. I don't believe in the hodgepodge collection of contradicting stories in the New Testament. I don't believe in any denominational religion, from Buddhism to Sufism to Hinduism. I don't believe in Joseph Smith's conception of Jesus in the Mormon church, though I live in a very Mormon area. But I have no problem with Mormons or their personal spiritual beliefs. Because I do believe some form of spirituality is important in life, whatever that extra mundane belief may be - people find meaning in it - just as much as Atheists find meaning in their humanist secularism.
Is it all an accident? Is consciousness just a product of mechanical processes that can mathematically be proven? Can mathematics create a single emotion? Are scientists close to resolving the enigma of consciousness? It doesn't seem (to me) to be the case. On the other hand, yes, the idea of some single GOD overlooking everything seems just as silly as believing in some almighty magical particle that managed to combine itself by "accident" to become the reality and consciousness we now experience. So what then is consciousness - and what really is reality? In some ways, Scientists and Theologians/Philosophers work at the same goal - motivated by the same human impulse: to discover the true nature of reality and ourselves. Which, in my opinion, remains a profound mystery.
This is the second time that you have attacked me personally on these threads. I don't know why you feel a need to do so, by name, but I've allowed enough time for the irritation to pass and to not respond in kind. You seem to think that you are some kind of authority, and prattle on in various posts opining on your theory of spirituality, but the quality of anything you say is lessened by your need, regularly surfacing, to offer acerbic putdowns to others. I understand perfectly well what Satanism is symbolic of, hence my use of the term, and certainly do not need you to tell me whether I understand the nature or symbolism of mythology. If you do feel a need to regularly correct others, to assert your superior perspective, perhaps you should refrain from being so insulting while you do it. It only makes you look bad.
"Actually, the Old Testament is a litany of barbarism by the Hebrew tribes and their murderous, psychopath god. They make a satanic duo and frankly, this is how they've always been."
Rereading your original post Michael. This is an unusual level of hatred that I don't often encounter. The hatred you continually pour into Caitlin's comments section, especially targeted toward religion and JEWS - as much vitriol and hate that you apparently can muster. And then you have the audacity to then gaslight myself and anyone else who dares push back against your vile arrogant hatred toward religion - as any abusive shithead like yourself will typically do with your bigotry. Your Nazi like attitude toward Jews. Your bigotry at a level that is historically dangerous to all human beings - and I bet you rarely have someone return you the favor because you're such a fucking Daddy complex asshole yourself.
You write: "frankly, this is how they've always been." No you fucking asshole. It hasn't always been that way with Jews or Christians or any other religion you shit on. Jews - Christians you name whatever religious people you want - there has been many cases throughout history of people of religious faith doing good things. I've known plenty of decent Jews in my life. And decent humane Christians, you bigoted ignorant ass. So take your hate filled vitriol and shove it up your atheist ass. Do us all a favor, shove it up your atheist ass as far as you can you ignorant, Jew hating fuck.
You confuse passion with hate. but reading your disgusting message above, its clear you are the one full of hate and vitriol. I have no issues with Jews whatsover, but I have a MAJOR issue with how they're behaving now, as do billions of others around the planet. And yes, reading the OT clearly demonstrates ample instances where Jews hold a certitude of their own elevated importance. A bit like you. I note that you seem to get into conflict with a lot of people on these threads and reading your childish tirade above, it is no surprise. Again, I refrain from replying in kind, as it would demean me, clearly not something that concerns you.
In rereading the Old testament I was appalled that Judaism's founders unabashedly claim their G_d told them to lie, cheat, steal, rape, enslave & kill.
It's understandable what the Talmud says about goy - racist superiority is their only defense
So you think we are all capable of this particular flavor of human evil? I don't think so. In fact, I know this is not true. I have watched people defend others when to do so would result in their own suffering or death. And they do it anyway. Israel's capacity for evil is created by their ideology and mass indoctrination which any one of them could have said--oh, no, this is too far--here I stop participating--and leave. The fact that so many Israelis have yet to reach that point is appalling. You notice the Palestinians have not reached that point, despite what has been done to them for more than 100 years. Be careful of making excuses for this behavior--you will end up in bed with them yourself.
Nosey parker: not sure who or what you are replying to but, I think everyone is probably capable of "this particular flavor of human evil" but most do not choose to exercise that capability. Many Jews have renounced Zionism and many Jews have made the choice not to be part of that evil. They were also indoctrinated so they are also capable of that evil if they choose it. I am not sure who you think is making excuses for this kind of behaviour.
Get off your soapbox. Jews are not necessarily Zionists any more than Zionists are necessarily Jewish. In fact, a lot of self-identifying Jews aren't Jewish. They're atheist. And there are plenty of Jews who I don't think are capable of this particular flavor of human evil. If I had the time and inclination I would go back and see who wrote that initial post, but I don't have either. If you really want to know who I was responding to, you can re-visit the thread.
No. Not everyone is capable of this behavior. Quite a few would rather get cancer and die. And do. Some Israelis are in detention because of their protesting. Unfortunately, they are a distinct minority. I don't buy the argument that it's because their media doesn't show them what's going on in Gaza. Everyone else can do a simple search to find out.
The same could have been said of Americans during the Gulf Wars. Jews are not by definition victims. Nor do I think they are by definition incompetent nincompoops. Not are Zionists.
There is a subset of Israelis who have renounced Zionism and immigrated to the US and Europe. Roughly 1 million since COVID. Whether they will stay away from Israel, I do not know. The fact is there are people in the world with empathy and integrity. This is not restricted to non-Jews, obviously.
You have a point. Abby Martin makes it less clumsily. See e.g. https://youtu.be/EuB5SeahL-E?si=9Gh4ZKNmmb-u2Lsp Don’t think anyone is excusing what Israel is doing. The question is whether there is something unique about the Israeli context that distinguishes it from the Nazis, the Japanese, the Burmese, the Americans, British, French, Belgians, Spanish, Portuguese…
The noon call in program on the radio today had a former ambassador to Israel as the guest. He was defending "Israel's right to self defence". Talking as if this mess is as horrible for Israelis as it is for Gazans. I kept turning it off but then back on hoping he would make some sense. Fortunately a couple of callers called him on his crap. He said that Palestine had always belonged to Jews. He seemed never to have heard of the Balfour declaration. It felt as if I were listening to a horror show. I was.
Oli Blah blah: They might be worse than the Nazis because they should know better. I guess the "never again" does not apply to anyone other than themselves so they can go murder anyone that they determine to be "not human".
What is left of academia that is uncorrupted, assesses Hamas to be a national liberation movement of an occupied people, similar to the Sinn Fein-IRA and the ANC
"...African National Congress (ANC),... From the 1940s it spearheaded the fight to eliminate apartheid, the official South African policy of racial separation and discrimination. The ANC was banned from 1960 to 1990 by the white South African government; during these three decades it operated underground and outside South African territory. The ban was lifted in 1990, and Nelson Mandela, the president of the ANC, was elected in 1994 to head South Africa’s first multiethnic government....."
So there is no point to your attempt at aimless diversions.
Back to the point
1) Occupied peoples have a right to self defense, and to determine their OWN representation and governance
"Palestinians have a recognized right under international law to resist Israeli occupation under Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions.[1][2] This right is affirmed in the context of the right of self-determination of all peoples under foreign and colonial rule.[3][4] The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has expressly affirmed the right of Palestinians to resist Israeli military occupation, including through armed struggle.[5][6] General Assembly resolution A/RES/38/17 (22/11/1983) stated that it "Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for their independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle".[7]..."
2) Israel has the right to widthdraw from its illegal invasion and occupation and blockade, and according to the United Nations Israel as an ILLEGAL occupation force does NOT have any legitimate claim to self defense - its a criminal nation conducting a criminal act
"Israel isn’t being “forced” to kill Palestinian children, it is knowingly choosing to."
Until we can get the Zionists to openly admit to this heinous crime and to beg forgiveness for their sins against the Palestinian people and foreign aid workers, journalists, and doctors, I sincerely doubt we will ever see peace in that region of the world.
We cannot allow Israel to continue existing as the apartheid chamber of horrors that it is and call ourselves decent human beings. We cannot allow Western "leaders" to remain in office who condone Israel's targeting of civilians. For almost six months we've seen nothing but death and horror on our social media feeds.Our elected representatives tell us that it's all "lies" and they want to censor our access to what's really happening in the world. Both genocide and its cover-up of the truth of genocide are crimes against humanity. Let us lock up all the so-called humans and the AI programs in Israel who perpetuate these war crimes.
After hearing John Mearsheimer with Glenn Greenwald the other day, I'm beginning to think that well before there can be peace between these foes Israel will simply implode. As a nation addicted to racism and violence it's at perpetual risk for civil war; pending the outcome of the decision about conscripting Orthodox Jews into the IDF, that eventuality may be hastened. Even if a lawless nation could beat the odds and survive, Israel's isolation will tip the scale and we will see the end of that society in my lifetime. Its transformation into one fit to join the international community will be felt around the world as tensions are reduced in the Middle East and a source of comfort and weapons to authoritarians everywhere becomes a horrible memory. It keeps me going to imagine the universal sigh of relief that will be expelled the day that starts to happen, when the world will have one big party, like it did at the end of WW II. Until then, it is our job to help bring that ending on sooner rather than later, and my gut tells me that BDS is the way to do it. All hands on deck!
I would like to think they're views are correct as well and Israel will not escape they're historic sadism and human atrocity without consequence. But, they are still slaughtering, and the worst may be about to come if Israel does a full on invasion of Rafah. Will the world just sit by and do nothing? Let 10s of thousands more Palestinians be massacred including children - and just punish Israel afterward.? Is that the only tragic plan and course of action the world can take? Is it even a moral choice to sit by and do nothing while so many innocents are slaughtered? Truly sad if true. :(
The Ultra-Orthodox are refusing to serve in the IDF. Watch what happens. They don't participate much in the economy either. They are what Zionism wishes to destroy. Ironic. Yet they are the most ethical of the lot.
I think murder is unethical. And thus far most of them are refusing to participate in the military, whose purpose is murder.
I am no authority on Judaism. But I do know that Jews--that is, people who follow the religion known as Judaism--have a lot of rules and commandments and whatnot to follow. Several of them the Zionists, who hide behind Judaism although I don't think they are actually Jewish, FLAGRANTLY do not follow. Such as not bearing false witness on your neighbor, not coveting your neighbor's land, not stealing, not murdering. Those are the handful of really big ones that indicate Israel is not a Jewish state. I know only one supposedly Orthodox Jew (the rest are Reform at best and most of them I would call atheists who practice "Jewish" rituals without the underlying belief) and she immigrated to Israel when she graduated high school, served in the IDF, and went on to have 8 children who are probably doing the same. I never saw her bearing false witness--she did not talk about her views of Israel but such a conversation was not allowed in my school because it was guaranteed to result in huge fistfights--but she did not have problems with coveting her neighbor's land, stealing Palestinian land and obviously had no problem with murder. I could be wrong. I avoided substantive conversations with her in school and have had no contact with her since.
I am sure some Orthodox Jews are ethical just as some (not very many) Western Christians (or Western atheists and agnostics) are ethical. Why should Orthodox Jews be any different from the rest of us? I do like their resistance against participating in the IDF. They spend a lot of their time studying the Torah. Killing Palestinians would really cut into their study time, which they consider a sacred duty. I like that they integrate their beliefs in their day-to-day life.
We may be talking about two different groups of people, however. I am not talking about the Zionist settlers who continue to kill West Bank Palestinians and steal their land as we speak. And stop aid trucks from accessing Gazans. They are not what I would call Orthodox Jews. They are playing at being Jewish.
I think BDS against Israel and its supporters (that would include the US and UK) and continued protests, shut-downs, lie-ins, general strikes, refusal to load boats and planes with weapons going toward Israel are all effective ways of getting our point across. We want to shut down this genocide and shut down the entire war machine of the Western imperialists. It's not a "quick fix" but these are all necessary.
Well, they're dead set against losing their exemption, so yes. Mearsheimer pointed out that they constitute 13% of the population now but will soon make up 30%. Obviously a militaristic country like Israel can't have that many citizens sitting out its endless wars. This is going to get very interesting....
18 U.S. Code § 1091 is the statute, the Genocide Convention in US criminal law. They should be charged with this law. Have this statute in front of their faces everyday. Give them nightmares of what is waiting for them, if now now, then when they leave office. Help me find a way to make this happen.
LOL, those responsible know full well that they have nothing to fear from any law.
Force is what matters and force is all that matters. V.I. Lenin was in many ways a nasty piece of work, but he had a very clear-eyed view of how things work in the real world.
The return of "Might Makes Right" - an immoral, broken philosophy - that usually leads to catastrophic consequences. The abuser becomes their own worse enemy. And cannot stand on any moral legitimate ground because they themselves become immoral and illegitimate.
They weren't attempts, they were "facts on the ground" - when there was a balance of powers: the USA vs the USSR and their respective satellites. As soon as the USSR was gone instead of making things better the US slipped into the old habits. Just a human nature.
I worry for Yuval Abraham who broke this story, and the story about Israel’s other AI killing machine called “The Gospel” in Nov ‘23. He and his family were threatened by Zionists after this:
Was the AI killing machine - the technology developed in the US? Where was it developed, Boeing? McDonnell Douglas? Stanford University? How much money is being made off of the killing machines?
The AI was developed in Israel. Israel has a massive, advanced technology industry. It is sometimes known as the 2nd Silicon Valley because of its startup technology companies and proliferation of tech investment.
Unfortunately, knowing how depraved, evil, and genocidal Israel is (and may have always been), this technology industry is used to export evil all around the world (i.e. oppressive technology like advanced drones, surveillance tools, hacking tools/services, electronic fences/walls, AI, and other technologies of war).
Yet they are completely dependent on the west for major military equipment like jets, helicopters, bombs, etc. These, they cannot produce.
This society was formed through surveillance and false flag bombings and extra-judicial assassinations. When the world sees but says nothing or, worse, enables this kind of behavior, this is what happens. They've been doing this since the 1940's. Now their surveillance and threats of assassination have come here. We should not be surprised. This is the inevitable result of Western stupidity and racism. Yet Israeli Zionists are only 5 million people in a world of billions. At most.
They cannot control the rest of the world. And their birth rate is (or was--maybe it's lower now) 1.8%. And if the Ultra-Orthodox are soon to become 30% of their population, they will fail. The Ultra-Orthodox are saying they will leave if they are forced to participate in the IDF. So--it's just a matter of time before Israel implodes. Besides the fact that their neighbors all have seen how weak both Israel and its great benefactor really are.
I bet the profits have been quite good. Similar to the Military Industrial Profits of the big 5 Defense contractors in the US: Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop, and General Dynamics over the last few decades.
Watching the Judge Napolitano show, many of the analysts are stating that if congress passes yet another 60 billion dollars for Ukraine (over the 300 billion that has already been spent)- most of that money will simply be funneled to the big five obscenely profitable corporations I list above - and the Ukrainians will not see much of it. And it won't make one bit of difference on the battlefield, except perhaps prolong the war a bit more - in a front line that apparently is already starting to collapse. So, it's just more money laundering by the US to defense contractors - in billions of US taxpayer dollars.
Israel doesn't buy these munitions. The US taxpayer does (and people too poor to pay taxes do too in the form of inflation). Israel is given "loans" which are "forgiven" the next year. It is completely dependent on the US.
It is NOT tax payer money that is funding this. That is such a common and often repeated myth/falsehood/fallacy that it has been treated like gospel. The US Govt. creates money as and when it needs it (with no real consequences due to dollar hegemony). The Banks and financial institutions also create this money/credit through loans and other processes. The basis of this money creation is the Fractional Reserve Banking System.
This can get into a more involved and deeper conversation about the reasons and purposes of taxation. The US Govt. is in the unique situation that it does not need tax money to spend (as explained above about how it can create as much money as it needs to spend on whatever priorities it focuses on).
>>"and people too poor to pay taxes do too in the form of inflation"
You are muddling two different things up. Inflation should not be conflated with taxation (in any form).
The financing of Israel is way more complex than just loans. Here is a detailed report (dated 2022) that goes into more detail (if you are interested): U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel - CRS Reports - https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33222/44
Speaking of inflation, reminds me of a segment I just watched yesterday on Kyle Kulinsky's channel. Apparently, the current inflation many Americans are suffering right now - more than 50% of it is due to corporate price gouging. Here is the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cNuFP_pcSI
That report is only from February 2022, number one, and only covers "military aid". The person authoring it is Jeremy M. Sharp, whose bio says he is an "expert" in promoting democracy in the Middle East and "the Arab Spring" (a CIA operation, FYI). It does, in one subordinate phrase, allow that there is additional aid that is not military, but this is not covered by this congressional report. I don't remember when it was--a long time ago--Senator Cranston--a rabidly pro-Israeli individual--proposed and Congress passed the "Cranston Amendment". I don't know if it's still in effect or not. But the Congressional Report you cite is just the tip of the iceberg and, as I say, written by someone whose biases are clearly pro-Israeli.
Here is another pro-Israeli link that is more inclusive. Of course, it does not include private donations (which last time I researched this EQUALLED formal public government subsidy), and does not include all the money given Israel for the development of many other areas of their economy, including scientific research, agriculture, the secret development of nuclear weapons. This is a huge topic and not one that can be covered by your statement about formal taxes and inflation.
Inflation is a hidden tax. That is my point. And supporting Israel (and pro-Israeli billionaires) costs low income Americans a huge amount of suffering stress, and financial loss. Those pro-Israeli billionaires are "buying" our entire Congress and Executive branch and Supreme Court. They also fund Israel by way of "charities" in which they are heavily invested which they create to avoid paying taxes. Come on. This subject is too big a subject to do justice here.
My point is that inflation is a form of war tax. You can disagree with me but I think the "COVID Pandemic" was a form of class war. The government printed (or didn't print) money to pay for all the money that was thrown around to keep most people passive and cooperative (a lot of which went to Big Pharma which was heavily invested in by the aforementioned billionaires). But every time they "print" (or just add it to the ledger in the sky) US dollars, the value of every dollar in the world drops. Since most countries still buy petrol with US dollars, that means most people in the world are paying a US war tax. Our GDP is created through usury. Obviously I have simplified things. The point is that we "give" Israel billions upon billions of dollars that do not, at that time, exist. And someone has to pay. If all we do is service the national debt, we all pay because every dollar is worth less and we pay more for bread and electricity and Bandaids. In 1975 I shared an apartment on Beacon Hill in Boston. My share (half) was $90 a month. How much does that apartment rent for today? $3600. Don't tell me it's in better shape now than it was then (this is the poor side of Beacon Hill). That is inflation. That is a tax, no matter what you say. At the time minimum wage was $1.73. Now it's $7.25. So that apartment should be renting for approximately $1000 (it's a two-bedroom). Where did that money come from? My point is that low income people think they don't pay federal income tax, but they do. Through the nose. While most billionaires pay absolutely nothing. And have a military and government to do their will, a significant amount of which benefits Israel.
It is impossible to accurately and comprehensively figure out how much financial help we give Israel. But if you want more accurate assessments, you might explore IfAmericansKnew.org in-depth.
It's sickening to me to see A.I. abused in such a sadistic fashion. I worked in A.I. for a brief period of time at UCSC on Robert Levinson's Morph project, a chess learning system. I believe in technology - that it can be used for a greater good in the world. But in the hands of sadists, it can also be used for great evil as well. :(
As discussed earlier, it's really about human psychology that is at stake, whether humankind can advance beyond an ideology of self-serving greed as the motive for everything, and sociopathic power complexes, and move toward a world of collaboration and respect for all life - with human creativity and loving technologies becoming our ultimate goals. Maybe it's just a pipe dream. But one can dream.
Well, if they weren't implementing a genocide why did Gallant say, no food, no water, no fuel. from the beginning of their assault? If you are committing a genocide why would you use discrimination since you want them all dead, which they have made very obvious. Everyone is a target, and they have a history of treating Palestinians in a dehumanizing way with little to no regard for their lives. It's a disgrace that the people of Israel are totally indifferent to the genocide being implemented in their own backyard. All they scream about is getting rid of Netanyahu and get the hostages back. Their whole history from the Nakba on says we don't give a good damn about your lives.
They've made us all victims in one way or another. I feel victimized as I watch the liars in the US state dept. defend these barbarisms with lame sophomoric excuses. But I recognize that my cross is nothing compared not only to Israel-America's direct homicide victims, but to the generations behind me. My cross includes the knowledge that those generations, which include my former students, will need to go on living in this shithouse country, to find some sanity in this degenerate society of bloody liars and murderers, this empire of death, that I'll be lucky to soon escape because I'm old.
When people, by people I mean strangers who I seem to be having conversations with lately all the time, start on about the human shield BS. I say “what would be the point of Hamas using women and children as human shields when IDF do not care about killing women and children?” There is this fallacy that IDF are decent soldiers who don’t want to do that. All lies, they have even killed some of their own people /hostages in the process of their invasion. They don’t care.
Your comment reminds me of a quote by Jungian scholar James Hollis:
"How can the 'civilized nations' repeatedly rationalize the invasions of another's land and culture by bringing their own unacknowledged heart of darkness to them? The simple truth is: It is easy. All one has to do is find a 'reason'."
In international law, if the defending party uses human shields, the aggressors are absolved of their violence against civilians. That may not be the way it exactly reads, but that is the gist of it.
It is prohibited to seize or to use the presence of persons protected by the Geneva Conventions as human shields to render military sites immune from enemy attacks or to prevent reprisals during an offensive (GCIV Arts. 28, 49; API Art. 51.7; APII Art. 5.2.c)
Maybe I’m incorrect but if Israel says Hamas is using civilians as human shields and that is prohibited by the Geneva Convention, then isn’t that one way Israel is trying to say that civilians become collateral damage?
Israel is full of shit and they are the ones who use civilians for human shields. But their accusations against Hamas seem intended to make Hamas appear like the violators of intl law.
The terrorist state of Israel and the Zionist Nazi IDF know damned good and well that Hamas and the other resistance fighters are no where near the actual Palestinian people in the south. All anyone has to do to learn the truth is listen to Richard Medhurst (my favorite journalist) to learn that the IDF is getting its ass fed to it by the Freedom Fighters to the north!
Egypt is having tremendous financial problems without hosting 2.3 million Palestinians (minus their dead). And that is connected to Israel and the CIA "Arab Spring" and deals they made with Israel to get the Israelis out of their country in 1973.
Actually, they're not opening the Rafah crossing because the Israelis want to starve to death as many Palestinians as possible, and bomb as many of the living as possible with the excuse that they were being used as human shields by Hamas. Couldn't help killing all those women and children. They should get out of the way if they don't want to die!!! Hamas is still in the north, BTW, killing Israeli soldiers, though their country is not admitting their deaths, even to their families. Israel lost this war. We'll see how serious Biden is.
There is not going to be a two-state solution. There is going to be one state, called Palestine, and Zionists will have no power in it. A single vote per person, maybe. Although if it were up to me, I'd kick them all out.
You do know that a significant number of Palestinians are intermarried with Egyptians, right? Despite what the US and Europe say, all the surrounding countries have sympathy for the Palestinians. All these countries have experienced similar Western colonialism for centuries. Where do you think the Crusades were?
It’s always been a lie! Who would have ever believed that it was true? Obviously the gullible and brainwashed - the ill-informed captured by a narrative so dishonest it became laughable to believe it could be anything otherwise than a lie. Israel is the global Pinocchio - always forever lying.
And the US aka Sugar Daddy is always there to cover their lies, as complicit as hell ! The US “Good cop/Moral Compass of the World” facade is well and truly blown to smithereens, we see them for all their ugliness
"The “human shields” narrative is just one more instance in which Israel pretends to be the victim while actually being the victimizer. They lied about beheaded babies so that they could get away with murdering babies. They lied about mass rapes so that they could get away with committing rape. They lied about Hamas using civilians as human shields so that they could kill civilians. They lie about being victims so that they can victimize".
Why were we aware of the truth of Caitlin's words right from the start - because we are not stupid. We have a modicum of intelligence. We are skeptical and can see through the lies of manufacturing consent and creating necessary illusions. We have unearthed how propaganda works. From Academia to Think Tanks, from experts to NGOs to media ,to lobby groups to "human rights", to linguistic manipulations, from capitalism to neoliberal economics. Everything is weaponised and we are lied to every minute of every day. And we know it. We have hearts and minds.
Yet the biggest lie we took time to unravel is the World Central Kitchen fiasco. It was heartbreaking to hear that the good people who risk their lives to help the starving Palestinians were targeted and killed.
And the puny men who rule over us were outraged and thoughts and prayers and messages of condolences were liberally expressed.
In the shock of it all we didn't stop to think why weren't there any outrage when UN, UNRWA and other aid workers, doctors, ambulance workers, good journalists, were targeted and killed? Why only the World Central Kitchen aid convoys were allowed in by the brutal Israeli military who have been blocking all food and other sustenance from getting into Gaza in order to starve the populace into submission and to death? Why?
Now we find out that this special World Central Kitchen is a Trojan Horse, a ploy to replace UNRWA, and have any food coming in tightly controlled. More truths are bound to come out. Israel lies about feeding the starving while starving them.
>>"Why were we aware of the truth of Caitlin's words right from the start - because we are not stupid. We have a modicum of intelligence. We are skeptical and can see through the lies of manufacturing consent and creating necessary illusions. We have unearthed how propaganda works. From Academia to Think Tanks, from experts to NGOs to media ,to lobby groups to "human rights", to linguistic manipulations, from capitalism to neoliberal economics. Everything is weaponised and we are lied to every minute of every day. And we know it. We have hearts and minds."
Israel (& the west) are built on white supremacist ideologies. That’s why the murder of innocent people in Palestine is viewed with a shrug at best and at worst the murdered are blamed for turning the innocent and pure supremacists into murderers.. it’s how psychopaths protect their egos.
See operation Pied Piper. The US has a habit of buying these lies: Hiroshima and Nagasaki were “warned to leave” before the bombs were dropped. Go where? If Israel were serious they’d provide a camp outside Gaza for women and children. It is intriguing that what Hamas did happens a lot, the West never asks why. What Israel is doing is very rare. There is a reason we think it normal, we are old hands at it. It is an atrocity reserved for the superpower in the space.
I repeat: There are thousands of Palestinians locked up in Jail in Israel who have had NO trials.
It's time to start asking for these people to be set free. All I hear about are Israeli hostages!
They are kept manacled to the floor/sometimes 12 to a small cell with only a bit of cheese bread and some water. I wish I could remember where I saw this!
Even before we knew this, bullshit should have been called on the "human shields" trope. What's the point in Israel crying foul over "human shields" if they have zero compunction about just blasting through them?
They are not the “IDF”. Stop using their propaganda name. They don’t “defend”.
In fact they have been bombing other countries, violating the sovereignty of other countries, and invading and occupying and stealing Palestinian land for decades. Murdering people there. Now mass bombing civilians and using computerised systems to massacre entire famiiies in their own homes. That’s what these people actually DO.
I always look forward to reading your articles but they always leave me deeply disturbed. Israel’s capacity for evil is without limitation, it chills me to the bone
Even more chilling is the people of Israel are screaming Netanyahu has to go, and we want a cease fire to get the hostages back but nothing about the killing and devastation of the Palestinians. That disgusts me most of all.
Yes indeed fran me too
Any exchange with a pro Israel person is pretty confounding also. This is “Jewish” fascism.
Nizami: I am finding that even people who are not quite pro Israel cannot really look at the violence and fascism of Israel. They still talk about the "increase in anti-semitism" that is happening without acknowledging or considering that a lot of that so-called "anti-semitism" is about critiquing Israel's treatment of Palestinians. Even when people are having a difficult time supporting Jews who may not be Israel apologists, it is the actions of Israel and the IDF that is the cause of those sentiments.
A remarkable number still coming with the “khamas” stuff. Delusional.
I am not sure what you mean by khamas. Is that a combination of kharma and hamas?
Refers to the frequently heard Israeli justification for ongoing war crimes: “Hamas” in Israeli accent.
What disgusts me is the way those dead people, women, children, old, infirm and non Israeli, have been totally ignored by the leftists.
Raped to death, think about that, think about the reaction from the people of Palestinine and many western lefties.
Cheering, celebrating, "They got what they deserved".
You lot are beyond comprehension, if a people celebrate that they don't deserve sympathy and neither do you.... so when the Muslim extremists come knocking don't expect any sympathy, or help. Sleep with dogs........
Obviously a hasbora newbie, David. Leftists? What are you talking about? Do you mean people who object to 33,000 civilians being murdered? And who was“raped to death”? You’re aware the rape fabrication has been debunked? Only extremists I’m worried about are the ones invested in Israeli murder technology. And they certainly ain’t Muslims.
Wrong and wrong again. 33000 is a joke, no debunking of raped to death, just your lies.
We all know it's beholden on Muslims to lie to non Muslims if it promotes their cause.
So why should anyone believe what a Muslim says? No reason other than stupidity or bias.
Don't worry they will get there in the end.
Obama was famous for his double tap murders. He’d bomb a wedding and then bomb the people who came to help them.
America starved Venezuelans and Yemens and now Syrians and the world has just yawned. No wonder Israel knows that Biden won’t criticize them.
The US of Israel, the world’s worst nightmare
I call it the United Satanic America, USA
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/misery-loves-company
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/amor-situationship
https://liborsoural.substack.com/p/lost-and-found-gho-sting
True. but a genocide where you systematically want to decimate a population is a different story. Although I know too often Obama got a pass on almost everything. However lets face it Cheney was an SOB and to think his daughter could parade him with pride around the Jan 6 comm is just nauseating.
Yemen.
israel's capacity for evil is unfortunately humanity's capacity for evil. Coming to a theatre near you...
That is: (humanity + racist supremacist dehumanising indoctrination) x (engineered victimhood and righteousness + military conscription + dehumanisation via technology. The IDF are lobotomised robots. Maybe some vestige of humanity remains…
Hi Nizami
Call them the IGF; IsraHelli Genocide Forces.
Explain why Hamas is an illegal organisation in almost every nation in the region?
Note this all popped up when Israel was getting close to treaties with Saudi Arabia and others in the region.
Coincidence? Like hell....
Explain why Israel flouts every rule in the book with impunity.
They don't, so now explain why nobody in the region wants them in their country? Try to answer the question this time....
Actually, the Old Testament is a litany of barbarism by the Hebrew tribes and their murderous, psychopath god. They make a satanic duo and frankly, this is how they've always been.
Certainly, to read that book and believe it, is nuts. For anyone to think it is something they should admire, adhere to, or even believe, is beyond nuts, and very, very scary.
Red heifers, Joy: soon to be burned and blood letted.
That’s as psychopathic as it gets.
I am completely gob smacked and are the Israeli's going to roll around in the blood?
Probably Jenny! I think they’re using it to consecrate a new temple…sick, sick, sick!
One can also find quite a bit of strong morality stories in the Old Testament as well - if one looks without prejudice. Religion by default, even the Jewish religion - is not all barbarism and murder - as you continually have attempted to paint it Michael Holt.
Frankly, satanism isn't really inherent in any book or religion, it can be found in human intolerance and prejudicial bigotry - secularists can be just as evil as theists. Satanism is symbolic of evil, just as mythology is symbolic of human truths. Something you fail to understand.
I have often thought that people who are religious are hypocritical when they are promoting hatred and discrimination and killing of others who do not think as they do. (think antiabortion, anti-gay, anti-immigrant etc) I don't believe in any God, but if there were a God, she/he would be very angry and distraught about what her/his humans are doing to each other.
I agree. One can find good and evil, hypocrisy in any religion or ideology or "group think". Today's dominating religion is the worship of greed and money.
Maybe there is nothing more to this sad world of ours. Reality is just a deterministic machine, our consciousness made some miraculous appearance in - that scientists even today are unable to unravel how it happened - and maybe you and I, in our ever so brief existence here will soon disappear forever. Maybe the nihilists are right in the end - life is just an accident, and the universe doesn't give a flying hoot about the screams of children being slaughtered in Gaza by sadists or the death of someone you love in a random car accident.
I don't believe in ancient millenia old religions, or the persecutorial "old white man" god depicted in the Old Testament - in a dusty bible written 2,000 years ago. I don't believe in the hodgepodge collection of contradicting stories in the New Testament. I don't believe in any denominational religion, from Buddhism to Sufism to Hinduism. I don't believe in Joseph Smith's conception of Jesus in the Mormon church, though I live in a very Mormon area. But I have no problem with Mormons or their personal spiritual beliefs. Because I do believe some form of spirituality is important in life, whatever that extra mundane belief may be - people find meaning in it - just as much as Atheists find meaning in their humanist secularism.
Is it all an accident? Is consciousness just a product of mechanical processes that can mathematically be proven? Can mathematics create a single emotion? Are scientists close to resolving the enigma of consciousness? It doesn't seem (to me) to be the case. On the other hand, yes, the idea of some single GOD overlooking everything seems just as silly as believing in some almighty magical particle that managed to combine itself by "accident" to become the reality and consciousness we now experience. So what then is consciousness - and what really is reality? In some ways, Scientists and Theologians/Philosophers work at the same goal - motivated by the same human impulse: to discover the true nature of reality and ourselves. Which, in my opinion, remains a profound mystery.
This is the second time that you have attacked me personally on these threads. I don't know why you feel a need to do so, by name, but I've allowed enough time for the irritation to pass and to not respond in kind. You seem to think that you are some kind of authority, and prattle on in various posts opining on your theory of spirituality, but the quality of anything you say is lessened by your need, regularly surfacing, to offer acerbic putdowns to others. I understand perfectly well what Satanism is symbolic of, hence my use of the term, and certainly do not need you to tell me whether I understand the nature or symbolism of mythology. If you do feel a need to regularly correct others, to assert your superior perspective, perhaps you should refrain from being so insulting while you do it. It only makes you look bad.
"Actually, the Old Testament is a litany of barbarism by the Hebrew tribes and their murderous, psychopath god. They make a satanic duo and frankly, this is how they've always been."
Rereading your original post Michael. This is an unusual level of hatred that I don't often encounter. The hatred you continually pour into Caitlin's comments section, especially targeted toward religion and JEWS - as much vitriol and hate that you apparently can muster. And then you have the audacity to then gaslight myself and anyone else who dares push back against your vile arrogant hatred toward religion - as any abusive shithead like yourself will typically do with your bigotry. Your Nazi like attitude toward Jews. Your bigotry at a level that is historically dangerous to all human beings - and I bet you rarely have someone return you the favor because you're such a fucking Daddy complex asshole yourself.
You write: "frankly, this is how they've always been." No you fucking asshole. It hasn't always been that way with Jews or Christians or any other religion you shit on. Jews - Christians you name whatever religious people you want - there has been many cases throughout history of people of religious faith doing good things. I've known plenty of decent Jews in my life. And decent humane Christians, you bigoted ignorant ass. So take your hate filled vitriol and shove it up your atheist ass. Do us all a favor, shove it up your atheist ass as far as you can you ignorant, Jew hating fuck.
You confuse passion with hate. but reading your disgusting message above, its clear you are the one full of hate and vitriol. I have no issues with Jews whatsover, but I have a MAJOR issue with how they're behaving now, as do billions of others around the planet. And yes, reading the OT clearly demonstrates ample instances where Jews hold a certitude of their own elevated importance. A bit like you. I note that you seem to get into conflict with a lot of people on these threads and reading your childish tirade above, it is no surprise. Again, I refrain from replying in kind, as it would demean me, clearly not something that concerns you.
In rereading the Old testament I was appalled that Judaism's founders unabashedly claim their G_d told them to lie, cheat, steal, rape, enslave & kill.
It's understandable what the Talmud says about goy - racist superiority is their only defense
Yes, I’m finding more weight to this Old Testament devilry idea.
So you think we are all capable of this particular flavor of human evil? I don't think so. In fact, I know this is not true. I have watched people defend others when to do so would result in their own suffering or death. And they do it anyway. Israel's capacity for evil is created by their ideology and mass indoctrination which any one of them could have said--oh, no, this is too far--here I stop participating--and leave. The fact that so many Israelis have yet to reach that point is appalling. You notice the Palestinians have not reached that point, despite what has been done to them for more than 100 years. Be careful of making excuses for this behavior--you will end up in bed with them yourself.
Nosey parker: not sure who or what you are replying to but, I think everyone is probably capable of "this particular flavor of human evil" but most do not choose to exercise that capability. Many Jews have renounced Zionism and many Jews have made the choice not to be part of that evil. They were also indoctrinated so they are also capable of that evil if they choose it. I am not sure who you think is making excuses for this kind of behaviour.
Get off your soapbox. Jews are not necessarily Zionists any more than Zionists are necessarily Jewish. In fact, a lot of self-identifying Jews aren't Jewish. They're atheist. And there are plenty of Jews who I don't think are capable of this particular flavor of human evil. If I had the time and inclination I would go back and see who wrote that initial post, but I don't have either. If you really want to know who I was responding to, you can re-visit the thread.
No. Not everyone is capable of this behavior. Quite a few would rather get cancer and die. And do. Some Israelis are in detention because of their protesting. Unfortunately, they are a distinct minority. I don't buy the argument that it's because their media doesn't show them what's going on in Gaza. Everyone else can do a simple search to find out.
The same could have been said of Americans during the Gulf Wars. Jews are not by definition victims. Nor do I think they are by definition incompetent nincompoops. Not are Zionists.
There is a subset of Israelis who have renounced Zionism and immigrated to the US and Europe. Roughly 1 million since COVID. Whether they will stay away from Israel, I do not know. The fact is there are people in the world with empathy and integrity. This is not restricted to non-Jews, obviously.
I really am not sure what you are on about. I am not on a soapbox. I don't disagree nor have I previously disagreed with what you have said.
You have a point. Abby Martin makes it less clumsily. See e.g. https://youtu.be/EuB5SeahL-E?si=9Gh4ZKNmmb-u2Lsp Don’t think anyone is excusing what Israel is doing. The question is whether there is something unique about the Israeli context that distinguishes it from the Nazis, the Japanese, the Burmese, the Americans, British, French, Belgians, Spanish, Portuguese…
This to nosey Parker
I am not excusing anything...or anyone.
The noon call in program on the radio today had a former ambassador to Israel as the guest. He was defending "Israel's right to self defence". Talking as if this mess is as horrible for Israelis as it is for Gazans. I kept turning it off but then back on hoping he would make some sense. Fortunately a couple of callers called him on his crap. He said that Palestine had always belonged to Jews. He seemed never to have heard of the Balfour declaration. It felt as if I were listening to a horror show. I was.
That is why they’re correctly referred to as
ZION NAZIS
Calling them Nazis is depraved.
Why? Because it’s an insult to Nazis?
Oli Blah blah: They might be worse than the Nazis because they should know better. I guess the "never again" does not apply to anyone other than themselves so they can go murder anyone that they determine to be "not human".
More depraved than the actual genocide they are committing? Think man!
I can’t listen to them anymore, put them on mute automatically!
No one occupying a people illegally, has any right to self defense. They are an aggressor.
The only right to self defense is that of the OCCUPIED people.
Therefore, I defend Hamas’ right to exist.
What is left of academia that is uncorrupted, assesses Hamas to be a national liberation movement of an occupied people, similar to the Sinn Fein-IRA and the ANC
https://www.britannica.com/summary/Sinn-Fein
https://www.britannica.com/topic/African-National-Congress
"...African National Congress (ANC),... From the 1940s it spearheaded the fight to eliminate apartheid, the official South African policy of racial separation and discrimination. The ANC was banned from 1960 to 1990 by the white South African government; during these three decades it operated underground and outside South African territory. The ban was lifted in 1990, and Nelson Mandela, the president of the ANC, was elected in 1994 to head South Africa’s first multiethnic government....."
So there is no point to your attempt at aimless diversions.
Back to the point
1) Occupied peoples have a right to self defense, and to determine their OWN representation and governance
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_right_to_resist
"Palestinians have a recognized right under international law to resist Israeli occupation under Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions.[1][2] This right is affirmed in the context of the right of self-determination of all peoples under foreign and colonial rule.[3][4] The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has expressly affirmed the right of Palestinians to resist Israeli military occupation, including through armed struggle.[5][6] General Assembly resolution A/RES/38/17 (22/11/1983) stated that it "Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for their independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial domination, apartheid and foreign occupation by all available means, including armed struggle".[7]..."
2) Israel has the right to widthdraw from its illegal invasion and occupation and blockade, and according to the United Nations Israel as an ILLEGAL occupation force does NOT have any legitimate claim to self defense - its a criminal nation conducting a criminal act
https://www.un.org/unispal/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/AES10867S2021493_240521.pdf
".....Israel’s invocation of the principle of self-defence as an occupying Power is
illegitimate and must be countered with a clear response rooted in international law,
the same international law that it systematically breaches with contempt yet has the
audacity to invoke when it deems it beneficial to itself.
Israel’s continued illegal and 54-year occupation of the State of Palestine,
including East Jerusalem, is an act of aggression and cannot be retroactively justified
by reference to the right of self-defence. Indeed, the principle of self-defence cannot
be applied by Israel to itself in the occupied territory of the State of Palestine. The
occupying Power has no sovereignty rights whatsoever in the occupied territory, to
which international law, including humanitarian law, fully applies.
Israel, the occupying Power, cannot invoke its so-called right to self-defence to
justify the use of excessive military force against the besieged Palestinian civilian
population in the occupied Gaza Strip. As reaffirmed by the Security Council in its
resolution 1860 (2009), the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian
territory, including East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel since 1967. Israel remains the
occupying Power and is thus bound by the relevant provisions of the Fourth Geneva
Convention and all other relevant provisions of international law, including United
Nations resolutions....:"
How could he believe that any group of people belonged to another and feel that was acceptable. Where was the host?
"Israel isn’t being “forced” to kill Palestinian children, it is knowingly choosing to."
Until we can get the Zionists to openly admit to this heinous crime and to beg forgiveness for their sins against the Palestinian people and foreign aid workers, journalists, and doctors, I sincerely doubt we will ever see peace in that region of the world.
We cannot allow Israel to continue existing as the apartheid chamber of horrors that it is and call ourselves decent human beings. We cannot allow Western "leaders" to remain in office who condone Israel's targeting of civilians. For almost six months we've seen nothing but death and horror on our social media feeds.Our elected representatives tell us that it's all "lies" and they want to censor our access to what's really happening in the world. Both genocide and its cover-up of the truth of genocide are crimes against humanity. Let us lock up all the so-called humans and the AI programs in Israel who perpetuate these war crimes.
After hearing John Mearsheimer with Glenn Greenwald the other day, I'm beginning to think that well before there can be peace between these foes Israel will simply implode. As a nation addicted to racism and violence it's at perpetual risk for civil war; pending the outcome of the decision about conscripting Orthodox Jews into the IDF, that eventuality may be hastened. Even if a lawless nation could beat the odds and survive, Israel's isolation will tip the scale and we will see the end of that society in my lifetime. Its transformation into one fit to join the international community will be felt around the world as tensions are reduced in the Middle East and a source of comfort and weapons to authoritarians everywhere becomes a horrible memory. It keeps me going to imagine the universal sigh of relief that will be expelled the day that starts to happen, when the world will have one big party, like it did at the end of WW II. Until then, it is our job to help bring that ending on sooner rather than later, and my gut tells me that BDS is the way to do it. All hands on deck!
I would like to think they're views are correct as well and Israel will not escape they're historic sadism and human atrocity without consequence. But, they are still slaughtering, and the worst may be about to come if Israel does a full on invasion of Rafah. Will the world just sit by and do nothing? Let 10s of thousands more Palestinians be massacred including children - and just punish Israel afterward.? Is that the only tragic plan and course of action the world can take? Is it even a moral choice to sit by and do nothing while so many innocents are slaughtered? Truly sad if true. :(
The Ultra-Orthodox are refusing to serve in the IDF. Watch what happens. They don't participate much in the economy either. They are what Zionism wishes to destroy. Ironic. Yet they are the most ethical of the lot.
Ironic indeed.
Nosey Parker. I hope you are NOT saying that the Orthodox Jews are ethical?
I think murder is unethical. And thus far most of them are refusing to participate in the military, whose purpose is murder.
I am no authority on Judaism. But I do know that Jews--that is, people who follow the religion known as Judaism--have a lot of rules and commandments and whatnot to follow. Several of them the Zionists, who hide behind Judaism although I don't think they are actually Jewish, FLAGRANTLY do not follow. Such as not bearing false witness on your neighbor, not coveting your neighbor's land, not stealing, not murdering. Those are the handful of really big ones that indicate Israel is not a Jewish state. I know only one supposedly Orthodox Jew (the rest are Reform at best and most of them I would call atheists who practice "Jewish" rituals without the underlying belief) and she immigrated to Israel when she graduated high school, served in the IDF, and went on to have 8 children who are probably doing the same. I never saw her bearing false witness--she did not talk about her views of Israel but such a conversation was not allowed in my school because it was guaranteed to result in huge fistfights--but she did not have problems with coveting her neighbor's land, stealing Palestinian land and obviously had no problem with murder. I could be wrong. I avoided substantive conversations with her in school and have had no contact with her since.
I am sure some Orthodox Jews are ethical just as some (not very many) Western Christians (or Western atheists and agnostics) are ethical. Why should Orthodox Jews be any different from the rest of us? I do like their resistance against participating in the IDF. They spend a lot of their time studying the Torah. Killing Palestinians would really cut into their study time, which they consider a sacred duty. I like that they integrate their beliefs in their day-to-day life.
We may be talking about two different groups of people, however. I am not talking about the Zionist settlers who continue to kill West Bank Palestinians and steal their land as we speak. And stop aid trucks from accessing Gazans. They are not what I would call Orthodox Jews. They are playing at being Jewish.
I think BDS against Israel and its supporters (that would include the US and UK) and continued protests, shut-downs, lie-ins, general strikes, refusal to load boats and planes with weapons going toward Israel are all effective ways of getting our point across. We want to shut down this genocide and shut down the entire war machine of the Western imperialists. It's not a "quick fix" but these are all necessary.
Israelis slaughtering Israelis. Well! I'm sure our MIC will make a nice profit, for the short term anyway, off of that so it's all good!
I understand the Orthodox Jews are saying the will not fight?
Well, they're dead set against losing their exemption, so yes. Mearsheimer pointed out that they constitute 13% of the population now but will soon make up 30%. Obviously a militaristic country like Israel can't have that many citizens sitting out its endless wars. This is going to get very interesting....
It sure is.
A long shot but it could just be the dark horse outcome: Israel dismantles itself.
18 U.S. Code § 1091 is the statute, the Genocide Convention in US criminal law. They should be charged with this law. Have this statute in front of their faces everyday. Give them nightmares of what is waiting for them, if now now, then when they leave office. Help me find a way to make this happen.
LOL, those responsible know full well that they have nothing to fear from any law.
Force is what matters and force is all that matters. V.I. Lenin was in many ways a nasty piece of work, but he had a very clear-eyed view of how things work in the real world.
The return of "Might Makes Right" - an immoral, broken philosophy - that usually leads to catastrophic consequences. The abuser becomes their own worse enemy. And cannot stand on any moral legitimate ground because they themselves become immoral and illegitimate.
Might is Right is the way things always have been.
And the abusers are just fine with it.
There have been some attempts to achieve a rules based order. But it looks like it isn't working at all anymore. :(
With the "rules" invariably written by the rulers, who also decide when the rules no longer apply.
WHOSE RULES?
They weren't attempts, they were "facts on the ground" - when there was a balance of powers: the USA vs the USSR and their respective satellites. As soon as the USSR was gone instead of making things better the US slipped into the old habits. Just a human nature.
I am not sure anybody can do anything Joy .........just keep protesting!
I worry for Yuval Abraham who broke this story, and the story about Israel’s other AI killing machine called “The Gospel” in Nov ‘23. He and his family were threatened by Zionists after this:
https://youtu.be/nZBbOBPLSvA?si=1Meap-Yw8VXNn1TZ
https://youtube.com/shorts/bodSUXjx400?si=QnqhtYWeP_DwUWBT
Thank you for sharing this....WOW
Was the AI killing machine - the technology developed in the US? Where was it developed, Boeing? McDonnell Douglas? Stanford University? How much money is being made off of the killing machines?
The AI was developed in Israel. Israel has a massive, advanced technology industry. It is sometimes known as the 2nd Silicon Valley because of its startup technology companies and proliferation of tech investment.
Unfortunately, knowing how depraved, evil, and genocidal Israel is (and may have always been), this technology industry is used to export evil all around the world (i.e. oppressive technology like advanced drones, surveillance tools, hacking tools/services, electronic fences/walls, AI, and other technologies of war).
Ref:
(1) https://venturebeat.com/entrepreneur/the-native-israeli-character-is-making-silicon-wadi-the-valleys-major-competitor/
(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_Wadi
Here is some positive news: https://en.majalla.com/node/302746/science-technology/israels-silicon-valley-brink-collapse
Yet they are completely dependent on the west for major military equipment like jets, helicopters, bombs, etc. These, they cannot produce.
This society was formed through surveillance and false flag bombings and extra-judicial assassinations. When the world sees but says nothing or, worse, enables this kind of behavior, this is what happens. They've been doing this since the 1940's. Now their surveillance and threats of assassination have come here. We should not be surprised. This is the inevitable result of Western stupidity and racism. Yet Israeli Zionists are only 5 million people in a world of billions. At most.
They cannot control the rest of the world. And their birth rate is (or was--maybe it's lower now) 1.8%. And if the Ultra-Orthodox are soon to become 30% of their population, they will fail. The Ultra-Orthodox are saying they will leave if they are forced to participate in the IDF. So--it's just a matter of time before Israel implodes. Besides the fact that their neighbors all have seen how weak both Israel and its great benefactor really are.
I bet the profits have been quite good. Similar to the Military Industrial Profits of the big 5 Defense contractors in the US: Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop, and General Dynamics over the last few decades.
Watching the Judge Napolitano show, many of the analysts are stating that if congress passes yet another 60 billion dollars for Ukraine (over the 300 billion that has already been spent)- most of that money will simply be funneled to the big five obscenely profitable corporations I list above - and the Ukrainians will not see much of it. And it won't make one bit of difference on the battlefield, except perhaps prolong the war a bit more - in a front line that apparently is already starting to collapse. So, it's just more money laundering by the US to defense contractors - in billions of US taxpayer dollars.
Israel doesn't buy these munitions. The US taxpayer does (and people too poor to pay taxes do too in the form of inflation). Israel is given "loans" which are "forgiven" the next year. It is completely dependent on the US.
It is NOT tax payer money that is funding this. That is such a common and often repeated myth/falsehood/fallacy that it has been treated like gospel. The US Govt. creates money as and when it needs it (with no real consequences due to dollar hegemony). The Banks and financial institutions also create this money/credit through loans and other processes. The basis of this money creation is the Fractional Reserve Banking System.
This can get into a more involved and deeper conversation about the reasons and purposes of taxation. The US Govt. is in the unique situation that it does not need tax money to spend (as explained above about how it can create as much money as it needs to spend on whatever priorities it focuses on).
>>"and people too poor to pay taxes do too in the form of inflation"
You are muddling two different things up. Inflation should not be conflated with taxation (in any form).
The financing of Israel is way more complex than just loans. Here is a detailed report (dated 2022) that goes into more detail (if you are interested): U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel - CRS Reports - https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/RL/RL33222/44
"Inflation should not be conflated with taxation"
Speaking of inflation, reminds me of a segment I just watched yesterday on Kyle Kulinsky's channel. Apparently, the current inflation many Americans are suffering right now - more than 50% of it is due to corporate price gouging. Here is the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cNuFP_pcSI
That report is only from February 2022, number one, and only covers "military aid". The person authoring it is Jeremy M. Sharp, whose bio says he is an "expert" in promoting democracy in the Middle East and "the Arab Spring" (a CIA operation, FYI). It does, in one subordinate phrase, allow that there is additional aid that is not military, but this is not covered by this congressional report. I don't remember when it was--a long time ago--Senator Cranston--a rabidly pro-Israeli individual--proposed and Congress passed the "Cranston Amendment". I don't know if it's still in effect or not. But the Congressional Report you cite is just the tip of the iceberg and, as I say, written by someone whose biases are clearly pro-Israeli.
Here is another pro-Israeli link that is more inclusive. Of course, it does not include private donations (which last time I researched this EQUALLED formal public government subsidy), and does not include all the money given Israel for the development of many other areas of their economy, including scientific research, agriculture, the secret development of nuclear weapons. This is a huge topic and not one that can be covered by your statement about formal taxes and inflation.
Inflation is a hidden tax. That is my point. And supporting Israel (and pro-Israeli billionaires) costs low income Americans a huge amount of suffering stress, and financial loss. Those pro-Israeli billionaires are "buying" our entire Congress and Executive branch and Supreme Court. They also fund Israel by way of "charities" in which they are heavily invested which they create to avoid paying taxes. Come on. This subject is too big a subject to do justice here.
My point is that inflation is a form of war tax. You can disagree with me but I think the "COVID Pandemic" was a form of class war. The government printed (or didn't print) money to pay for all the money that was thrown around to keep most people passive and cooperative (a lot of which went to Big Pharma which was heavily invested in by the aforementioned billionaires). But every time they "print" (or just add it to the ledger in the sky) US dollars, the value of every dollar in the world drops. Since most countries still buy petrol with US dollars, that means most people in the world are paying a US war tax. Our GDP is created through usury. Obviously I have simplified things. The point is that we "give" Israel billions upon billions of dollars that do not, at that time, exist. And someone has to pay. If all we do is service the national debt, we all pay because every dollar is worth less and we pay more for bread and electricity and Bandaids. In 1975 I shared an apartment on Beacon Hill in Boston. My share (half) was $90 a month. How much does that apartment rent for today? $3600. Don't tell me it's in better shape now than it was then (this is the poor side of Beacon Hill). That is inflation. That is a tax, no matter what you say. At the time minimum wage was $1.73. Now it's $7.25. So that apartment should be renting for approximately $1000 (it's a two-bedroom). Where did that money come from? My point is that low income people think they don't pay federal income tax, but they do. Through the nose. While most billionaires pay absolutely nothing. And have a military and government to do their will, a significant amount of which benefits Israel.
It is impossible to accurately and comprehensively figure out how much financial help we give Israel. But if you want more accurate assessments, you might explore IfAmericansKnew.org in-depth.
Very true Jamenta - seems like that is exactly what will happen.
It's sickening to me to see A.I. abused in such a sadistic fashion. I worked in A.I. for a brief period of time at UCSC on Robert Levinson's Morph project, a chess learning system. I believe in technology - that it can be used for a greater good in the world. But in the hands of sadists, it can also be used for great evil as well. :(
As discussed earlier, it's really about human psychology that is at stake, whether humankind can advance beyond an ideology of self-serving greed as the motive for everything, and sociopathic power complexes, and move toward a world of collaboration and respect for all life - with human creativity and loving technologies becoming our ultimate goals. Maybe it's just a pipe dream. But one can dream.
Speechless. So horrifying. Thank you, Caitlin, for spreading the truth.
Well, if they weren't implementing a genocide why did Gallant say, no food, no water, no fuel. from the beginning of their assault? If you are committing a genocide why would you use discrimination since you want them all dead, which they have made very obvious. Everyone is a target, and they have a history of treating Palestinians in a dehumanizing way with little to no regard for their lives. It's a disgrace that the people of Israel are totally indifferent to the genocide being implemented in their own backyard. All they scream about is getting rid of Netanyahu and get the hostages back. Their whole history from the Nakba on says we don't give a good damn about your lives.
They've made us all victims in one way or another. I feel victimized as I watch the liars in the US state dept. defend these barbarisms with lame sophomoric excuses. But I recognize that my cross is nothing compared not only to Israel-America's direct homicide victims, but to the generations behind me. My cross includes the knowledge that those generations, which include my former students, will need to go on living in this shithouse country, to find some sanity in this degenerate society of bloody liars and murderers, this empire of death, that I'll be lucky to soon escape because I'm old.
Always darkest before the dawn, Vin…
Is death an escape or an extinguishment of all things we love? What's your take, now that you're old?
When people, by people I mean strangers who I seem to be having conversations with lately all the time, start on about the human shield BS. I say “what would be the point of Hamas using women and children as human shields when IDF do not care about killing women and children?” There is this fallacy that IDF are decent soldiers who don’t want to do that. All lies, they have even killed some of their own people /hostages in the process of their invasion. They don’t care.
I wonder if 'human shields' have been used in wars before this?
Your comment reminds me of a quote by Jungian scholar James Hollis:
"How can the 'civilized nations' repeatedly rationalize the invasions of another's land and culture by bringing their own unacknowledged heart of darkness to them? The simple truth is: It is easy. All one has to do is find a 'reason'."
Found a link - it’s in the Geneva Convention:
https://dam.gcsp.ch/files/doc/SSA_Addressing-the-use-of-human-shield
In international law, if the defending party uses human shields, the aggressors are absolved of their violence against civilians. That may not be the way it exactly reads, but that is the gist of it.
I read it and it is the other way round!
It is prohibited to seize or to use the presence of persons protected by the Geneva Conventions as human shields to render military sites immune from enemy attacks or to prevent reprisals during an offensive (GCIV Arts. 28, 49; API Art. 51.7; APII Art. 5.2.c)
Maybe I’m incorrect but if Israel says Hamas is using civilians as human shields and that is prohibited by the Geneva Convention, then isn’t that one way Israel is trying to say that civilians become collateral damage?
Israel is full of shit and they are the ones who use civilians for human shields. But their accusations against Hamas seem intended to make Hamas appear like the violators of intl law.
The terrorist state of Israel and the Zionist Nazi IDF know damned good and well that Hamas and the other resistance fighters are no where near the actual Palestinian people in the south. All anyone has to do to learn the truth is listen to Richard Medhurst (my favorite journalist) to learn that the IDF is getting its ass fed to it by the Freedom Fighters to the north!
Also electronic intifada are reporting the same
Guess why they are not opening the Rafah crossing?
Why? Egypt doesn't want them!
Egypt is having tremendous financial problems without hosting 2.3 million Palestinians (minus their dead). And that is connected to Israel and the CIA "Arab Spring" and deals they made with Israel to get the Israelis out of their country in 1973.
Actually, they're not opening the Rafah crossing because the Israelis want to starve to death as many Palestinians as possible, and bomb as many of the living as possible with the excuse that they were being used as human shields by Hamas. Couldn't help killing all those women and children. They should get out of the way if they don't want to die!!! Hamas is still in the north, BTW, killing Israeli soldiers, though their country is not admitting their deaths, even to their families. Israel lost this war. We'll see how serious Biden is.
There is not going to be a two-state solution. There is going to be one state, called Palestine, and Zionists will have no power in it. A single vote per person, maybe. Although if it were up to me, I'd kick them all out.
You do know that a significant number of Palestinians are intermarried with Egyptians, right? Despite what the US and Europe say, all the surrounding countries have sympathy for the Palestinians. All these countries have experienced similar Western colonialism for centuries. Where do you think the Crusades were?
It’s always been a lie! Who would have ever believed that it was true? Obviously the gullible and brainwashed - the ill-informed captured by a narrative so dishonest it became laughable to believe it could be anything otherwise than a lie. Israel is the global Pinocchio - always forever lying.
And the US aka Sugar Daddy is always there to cover their lies, as complicit as hell ! The US “Good cop/Moral Compass of the World” facade is well and truly blown to smithereens, we see them for all their ugliness
"The “human shields” narrative is just one more instance in which Israel pretends to be the victim while actually being the victimizer. They lied about beheaded babies so that they could get away with murdering babies. They lied about mass rapes so that they could get away with committing rape. They lied about Hamas using civilians as human shields so that they could kill civilians. They lie about being victims so that they can victimize".
Why were we aware of the truth of Caitlin's words right from the start - because we are not stupid. We have a modicum of intelligence. We are skeptical and can see through the lies of manufacturing consent and creating necessary illusions. We have unearthed how propaganda works. From Academia to Think Tanks, from experts to NGOs to media ,to lobby groups to "human rights", to linguistic manipulations, from capitalism to neoliberal economics. Everything is weaponised and we are lied to every minute of every day. And we know it. We have hearts and minds.
Yet the biggest lie we took time to unravel is the World Central Kitchen fiasco. It was heartbreaking to hear that the good people who risk their lives to help the starving Palestinians were targeted and killed.
And the puny men who rule over us were outraged and thoughts and prayers and messages of condolences were liberally expressed.
In the shock of it all we didn't stop to think why weren't there any outrage when UN, UNRWA and other aid workers, doctors, ambulance workers, good journalists, were targeted and killed? Why only the World Central Kitchen aid convoys were allowed in by the brutal Israeli military who have been blocking all food and other sustenance from getting into Gaza in order to starve the populace into submission and to death? Why?
Now we find out that this special World Central Kitchen is a Trojan Horse, a ploy to replace UNRWA, and have any food coming in tightly controlled. More truths are bound to come out. Israel lies about feeding the starving while starving them.
Man's inhumanity to man know no bounds.
>>"Why were we aware of the truth of Caitlin's words right from the start - because we are not stupid. We have a modicum of intelligence. We are skeptical and can see through the lies of manufacturing consent and creating necessary illusions. We have unearthed how propaganda works. From Academia to Think Tanks, from experts to NGOs to media ,to lobby groups to "human rights", to linguistic manipulations, from capitalism to neoliberal economics. Everything is weaponised and we are lied to every minute of every day. And we know it. We have hearts and minds."
So very well expressed Indu. Thank you!
I wish I could like this comment ten times over!
Here's more info: Why Palestinians don’t trust World Central Kitchen, with Ali Abunimah and Asa Winstanley (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yp6vPsMc2l4)
Israel (& the west) are built on white supremacist ideologies. That’s why the murder of innocent people in Palestine is viewed with a shrug at best and at worst the murdered are blamed for turning the innocent and pure supremacists into murderers.. it’s how psychopaths protect their egos.
See operation Pied Piper. The US has a habit of buying these lies: Hiroshima and Nagasaki were “warned to leave” before the bombs were dropped. Go where? If Israel were serious they’d provide a camp outside Gaza for women and children. It is intriguing that what Hamas did happens a lot, the West never asks why. What Israel is doing is very rare. There is a reason we think it normal, we are old hands at it. It is an atrocity reserved for the superpower in the space.
The white supremacist west commits murder against non whites while tooting its human rights horn.. it is an empire of evil.
I repeat: There are thousands of Palestinians locked up in Jail in Israel who have had NO trials.
It's time to start asking for these people to be set free. All I hear about are Israeli hostages!
They are kept manacled to the floor/sometimes 12 to a small cell with only a bit of cheese bread and some water. I wish I could remember where I saw this!
Jenny, these are the real, actual hostages!
And no one says a goddamned word about them, including the detained CHILDREN!
Yes and Israel has been doing this for decades. Since at least the 1970s but I’m sure before.
Yes. I think Caitlin should bring this up. Just horrifying.
Yes - it's something barely even mentioned in the news. Human torture has made a big return with the Israeli IDF as well. :(
Even before we knew this, bullshit should have been called on the "human shields" trope. What's the point in Israel crying foul over "human shields" if they have zero compunction about just blasting through them?
They are not the “IDF”. Stop using their propaganda name. They don’t “defend”.
In fact they have been bombing other countries, violating the sovereignty of other countries, and invading and occupying and stealing Palestinian land for decades. Murdering people there. Now mass bombing civilians and using computerised systems to massacre entire famiiies in their own homes. That’s what these people actually DO.
They are the Israeli Genocide Force. IGF.
Genocide is what they do.