Just stop the killing. The killers always have a story, and reasons, and history. The story and reasons and history can easily be made up from thin air. The dead cannot.
Talk is not cheap anymore because politicians have paid enormous sums to have experts tailor and shape their bullshit.
Just follow the facts. And the facts are the number of dead. They are killed first. You are next.
You say: "The casualties have fallen from 1,500 to 1,400 and now stand at 1,200, two thirds of whom are military and security personnel." In Israel, many of the people have served in the military and some remain in the reserves. Kibutzes seem to have a group that handles security - e.g., Kibutz Nir Am - where young woman (Liebermann) noticed a problem, rallied her group at the kibutz and distributed guns, so they defended themselves.
Your writing seems somewhat slanted lately. Jews were indigenous to Israel and Jerusalem for 3,000 years. Not just British imperialism, against which you fight.
Turn your comment around. The vast majority of Israelis are good people trying to survive in a tough situation. Hamas' 1988 charter "rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea" and says "the Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight Jews and kill them." [NY Post, 11/8/2023.] Palestinians believe they have a god-given right to that land.
Remove Hamas, which is warden of the "open air" prison. Hamas leaders live as rich men in Qatar. Hamas is stealing from and strangling the Palestinian people. Free Palestine from rule by Hamas.
When I feel cynical I see Hamas - which was turned by outside money into a military force - as profiting the military industrial complex.
Real weapons cannot get into Gaza. So those fireworks that fly into the Iron Dome, cost mere hundreds, to be shot down by hundred-thousand dollar U.S. missiles.
Consider that Israelis are being played - the past four years proved that we are all being played.
Thank you for your perspective. I find Twitter in particular to be very harmful at this time... the filter bubble, echo chamber is almost impenetrable.
For example, I can see IDF, of course. Twitter pushes it. But organic voices from Israel do not show up, whatever hashtag I use. I must seek people by name - which means inevitably that I follow well known academics and journalists but still cannot enter the grassroots discussion.
Thanks for your comment. I would disagree with slanted. Humanitarian concern cannot withhold reaction to the killing of about 5,000 women and children, or 1,200 people in settler communities - and when I feel frustration, it is primarily with the international "non-community." As for Israel's reaction I think I have explained that I understand it on one level.
But I stick to my view that Netanyahu is not a free agent. He would not take such steps without a prior green light from Western powers, or even those who may pull the strings of the likes of Trudeau, Sunak, Scholz etc. It also fits too conveniently in timing and character to the depopulation, resettlement, SMART cities project.
I am critical not of Israelis but the Zionist project which objectively is a different thing - leaving aside religious claim on the land, or historical ties.
I try to show that Zionism is an imperial project is bigger than Israel, and the latter finds itself in the difficult position of benefitting but also suffering the costs of the project.
Do you read Andrew Sullivan, ex-editor of New Republic, who now writes on substack as “The Weekly Dish.” He said today:
"I have actually gone there [history of Israel], seeing Zionism as a 19th century “ism”, like communism and fascism, that was doomed to ideological failure, because it wasn’t based on the existing order, but dreamed up by intellectuals. No Burkean would ever have thought that you can construct a new state on top of an existing population, replace that population by immigration with people of an entirely different religion, and then have no problems at all. It’s a case study in truly crazy utopianism. As Oakeshott put it, “Those Who In Elysian Fields Would Dwell/Do But Extend the Boundaries of Hell.”
"But what is done is done. We start from where we are. And the millions of Jews now living in Israel will not and should not be required to move. …." Sullivan has more to say.
Part of the question is whether Zionism refers to Israel as a specific country (with Jerusalem as its capital with current or earlier borders) as a homeland for Jews, or as an imperial project where European and North American countries (the North) exploit so-called Third World countries (the South) for resources and cheap labor.
One also needs to consider that Arab countries after year 800, advanced into and conquered and seized neighboring countries - such that Copts and other ancient peoples are gone. In the last 200 to 100 to 20 years, there are few Christians left in Egypt, Iran or Iraq. Kurds and Azidis have been pushed out. (See Alex Berenson and Unreported Truths - big discussion in comments today.)
Further, China is attacking and seizing land and people. See Tibet in the south and Moslem Uyghurs in the west. Regarding space travel, China has sent a spaceship to dark side of the moon, to lay a claim to minerals there. People who follow space say delinquent China leaves more junk in space, orbiting, than do other countries, which sometimes falls to earth helter-skelter. (I am not up-to-speed on China's depredations -- or their current real estate decline.)
Various imperialist countries are attacking neighbors for greedy purposes. Can they be coordinated? Can their victims and the people fighting back group themselves for a coordinated response?
My son has a Russian-Israeli friend. The boy's cousin, in his 20s, returned to Israel and got drafted. A day later he was killed.
I suspect the Israeli government is hiding the death toll.
As to why Twitter and other social media operate an echo chamber.
They do not show me comments from pro-Israel commentators because that might confirm my findings; and provide evidence to be used to counter IDF lies. Can anyone think of another reason why... if I am misled about the noble intentions of Israel, the owners of social media would not wish to expose me to what Israelis are saying?
Just stop the killing. The killers always have a story, and reasons, and history. The story and reasons and history can easily be made up from thin air. The dead cannot.
Talk is not cheap anymore because politicians have paid enormous sums to have experts tailor and shape their bullshit.
Just follow the facts. And the facts are the number of dead. They are killed first. You are next.
^^^^
You say: "The casualties have fallen from 1,500 to 1,400 and now stand at 1,200, two thirds of whom are military and security personnel." In Israel, many of the people have served in the military and some remain in the reserves. Kibutzes seem to have a group that handles security - e.g., Kibutz Nir Am - where young woman (Liebermann) noticed a problem, rallied her group at the kibutz and distributed guns, so they defended themselves.
Your writing seems somewhat slanted lately. Jews were indigenous to Israel and Jerusalem for 3,000 years. Not just British imperialism, against which you fight.
Turn your comment around. The vast majority of Israelis are good people trying to survive in a tough situation. Hamas' 1988 charter "rejects any alternative to the full and complete liberation of Palestine, from the river to the sea" and says "the Day of Judgment will not come about until Muslims fight Jews and kill them." [NY Post, 11/8/2023.] Palestinians believe they have a god-given right to that land.
If you think what is happening to Jews who were attacked on Oct 7 is ok, it is you who is a blind person with no feelings. (See https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/house-members-emotional-after-seeing-footage-of-oct-7-attack-on-israel/ar-AA1jVwQb . )
Remove Hamas, which is warden of the "open air" prison. Hamas leaders live as rich men in Qatar. Hamas is stealing from and strangling the Palestinian people. Free Palestine from rule by Hamas.
When I feel cynical I see Hamas - which was turned by outside money into a military force - as profiting the military industrial complex.
Real weapons cannot get into Gaza. So those fireworks that fly into the Iron Dome, cost mere hundreds, to be shot down by hundred-thousand dollar U.S. missiles.
Consider that Israelis are being played - the past four years proved that we are all being played.
Thank you for your perspective. I find Twitter in particular to be very harmful at this time... the filter bubble, echo chamber is almost impenetrable.
For example, I can see IDF, of course. Twitter pushes it. But organic voices from Israel do not show up, whatever hashtag I use. I must seek people by name - which means inevitably that I follow well known academics and journalists but still cannot enter the grassroots discussion.
Thanks for your comment. I would disagree with slanted. Humanitarian concern cannot withhold reaction to the killing of about 5,000 women and children, or 1,200 people in settler communities - and when I feel frustration, it is primarily with the international "non-community." As for Israel's reaction I think I have explained that I understand it on one level.
But I stick to my view that Netanyahu is not a free agent. He would not take such steps without a prior green light from Western powers, or even those who may pull the strings of the likes of Trudeau, Sunak, Scholz etc. It also fits too conveniently in timing and character to the depopulation, resettlement, SMART cities project.
I am critical not of Israelis but the Zionist project which objectively is a different thing - leaving aside religious claim on the land, or historical ties.
I try to show that Zionism is an imperial project is bigger than Israel, and the latter finds itself in the difficult position of benefitting but also suffering the costs of the project.
Do you read Andrew Sullivan, ex-editor of New Republic, who now writes on substack as “The Weekly Dish.” He said today:
"I have actually gone there [history of Israel], seeing Zionism as a 19th century “ism”, like communism and fascism, that was doomed to ideological failure, because it wasn’t based on the existing order, but dreamed up by intellectuals. No Burkean would ever have thought that you can construct a new state on top of an existing population, replace that population by immigration with people of an entirely different religion, and then have no problems at all. It’s a case study in truly crazy utopianism. As Oakeshott put it, “Those Who In Elysian Fields Would Dwell/Do But Extend the Boundaries of Hell.”
"But what is done is done. We start from where we are. And the millions of Jews now living in Israel will not and should not be required to move. …." Sullivan has more to say.
Part of the question is whether Zionism refers to Israel as a specific country (with Jerusalem as its capital with current or earlier borders) as a homeland for Jews, or as an imperial project where European and North American countries (the North) exploit so-called Third World countries (the South) for resources and cheap labor.
One also needs to consider that Arab countries after year 800, advanced into and conquered and seized neighboring countries - such that Copts and other ancient peoples are gone. In the last 200 to 100 to 20 years, there are few Christians left in Egypt, Iran or Iraq. Kurds and Azidis have been pushed out. (See Alex Berenson and Unreported Truths - big discussion in comments today.)
Further, China is attacking and seizing land and people. See Tibet in the south and Moslem Uyghurs in the west. Regarding space travel, China has sent a spaceship to dark side of the moon, to lay a claim to minerals there. People who follow space say delinquent China leaves more junk in space, orbiting, than do other countries, which sometimes falls to earth helter-skelter. (I am not up-to-speed on China's depredations -- or their current real estate decline.)
Various imperialist countries are attacking neighbors for greedy purposes. Can they be coordinated? Can their victims and the people fighting back group themselves for a coordinated response?
My son has a Russian-Israeli friend. The boy's cousin, in his 20s, returned to Israel and got drafted. A day later he was killed.
I suspect the Israeli government is hiding the death toll.
As to why Twitter and other social media operate an echo chamber.
They do not show me comments from pro-Israel commentators because that might confirm my findings; and provide evidence to be used to counter IDF lies. Can anyone think of another reason why... if I am misled about the noble intentions of Israel, the owners of social media would not wish to expose me to what Israelis are saying?