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Israel under attack from Hamas

Interesting guest. A few things:

(1) The colonel says Biden is being too belligerent towards Iran. CoH previously was saying Biden is too weak with Iran.

(2) Is he really saying we need to worry about a military conflict with Iran? We topped Iraq in just a few months. Is Iran now much stronger than Iraq was in 2003?

(3) He says we need to fear Iranian cyber hackers. Really? Our cyber geeks can't throttle theirs? That seems unlikely. (Ive heard the same re NKorea, though).

(4) He speculates Russia would get involved. They want a two-front war, with us on one of those fronts? They are dumb, but not that dumb. I'd be much more worried about China's response.
No offense to dbm, but the Colonel hasn't been right about one thing in global issues.

He kept on predicting Russia would overrun Ukraine, even after it was apparent to everyone that wasn't going to happen. He's an apologist for every American opponent.

Tucker is an entertainer and knows his audience. The Colonel plays into it, too. I can't stand listening to him.
 
*sigh* I can't show you the moon, brother, I can only point to it.
He has a valid point...... where is the starting point? You probably want to pick 1948 or close to that but who says that is the correct starting point since the area was occupied long before that.
 
Interesting guest. A few things:

(1) The colonel says Biden is being too belligerent towards Iran. CoH previously was saying Biden is too weak with Iran.

(2) Is he really saying we need to worry about a military conflict with Iran? We toppled Iraq in just a few months. Is Iran now much stronger than Iraq was in 2003?

(3) He says we need to fear Iranian cyber hackers. Really? Our cyber geeks can't throttle theirs? That seems unlikely. (Ive heard the same re NKorea, though).

(4) He speculates Russia would get involved. They want a two-front war, with us on one of those fronts? They are dumb, but not that dumb. I'd be much more worried about China's response.
All good points, but relative to the cybersecurity, we have much, much more to lose. Power grids, infrastructure, finance, even short disruptions cripple our society.
 
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No offense to dbm, but the Colonel hasn't been right about one thing in global issues.

He kept on predicting Russia would overrun Ukraine, even after it was apparent to everyone that wasn't going to happen. He's an apologist for every American opponent.

Tucker is an entertainer and knows his audience. The Colonel plays into it, too. I can't stand listening to him.
Bingo
 

I see a whole bunch of denying going on out there on the extremes of each side of the aisle in this country. There are a whole bunch of people exposing themselves around this incident and letting their flag fly on social media. The people who did this are monsters, calling them animals wouldn't be low enough. And those who support and excuse it are no better.
 

I see a whole bunch of denying going on out there on the extremes of each side of the aisle in this country. There are a whole bunch of people exposing themselves around this incident and letting their flag fly on social media. The people who did this are monsters, calling them animals wouldn't be low enough. And those who support and excuse it are no better.
The people who did this are humans. They are people. It sucks to acknowledge it, but acknowledge it we must because it's a short step from saying "these people aren't human" to "these people" = the Palestinians, which could be used to justify mass genocide.

And these people deserve to die. Every single one of them (or if "deserve" is off the table--see free-will argument-- it would be better for humanity if they were killed). If these people also suffer some pain in their dying, a part of me will be happy about it.
 
The people who did this are humans. They are people. It sucks to acknowledge it, but acknowledge it we must because it's a short step from saying "these people aren't human" to "these people" = the Palestinians, which could be used to justify mass genocide.

And these people deserve to die. Every single one of them (or if "deserve" is off the table--see free-will argument-- it would be better for humanity if they were killed). If these people also suffer some pain in their dying, a part of me will be happy about it.

I wonder what a poll would come back looking like if we asked the Gazans if they support it. And of those who don't, is it because of what is likely to happen to you in return or do you really think it is wrong.

I would lay money that the results wouldn't be pretty.

That isn't a call for genocide but it is a call to reality. The majority of "they" are active or passive supporters of everything in that article. When you call your Mom and Dad to brag about killing a woman with your bare hands and still having their blood on you, you are a shit person but so are the ones you are calling for approval. Mom, Dad, and Hamas son can get it.
 

I see a whole bunch of denying going on out there on the extremes of each side of the aisle in this country. There are a whole bunch of people exposing themselves around this incident and letting their flag fly on social media. The people who did this are monsters, calling them animals wouldn't be low enough. And those who support and excuse it are no better.
It’s really unsettling to me how people can become so cruel and evil.
 
It’s really unsettling to me how people can become so cruel and evil.
I couldn’t fathom it until Aloha posted that link about the drugs they use. That makes sense to me.

Taking those drugs won’t turn you or me into someone who beheads, but I can certainly see them turning an already troubled, violent person into something worse.
 
Sounds like you don't have an issue with direct support for terrorism against civilians
I very much do have a problem with it. When I read the ADL's description of the SJP's "toolkit," I didn't see anything that actually looked like, you know, material support. Rooting for terrorists and materially supporting them are two wholly different things. I don't like it when Neonazis march around spouting their hate, but they are allowed to do it. What they are not allowed to do is send money to people to finance bombing synagogues. Big difference. These misguided students can cheer for Hamas all they want, so long as they don't help them.
 
I very much do have a problem with it. When I read the ADL's description of the SJP's "toolkit," I didn't see anything that actually looked like, you know, material support. Rooting for terrorists and materially supporting them are two wholly different things. I don't like it when Neonazis march around spouting their hate, but they are allowed to do it. What they are not allowed to do is send money to people to finance bombing synagogues. Big difference. These misguided students can cheer for Hamas all they want, so long as they don't help them.

Fair points.
 
Fair points.
Just in case someone else comes along and accuses me of not being clear enough, let me stress how utterly disgusting almost every word in that SJP memo is. I have no sympathy for the student groups being disbanded over this. The reasonable students will be given an opportunity to form their own groups not related to this national organization and more power to them. But simply being associated with that nonsense is a dark stain on all of them.
 


ETA: This isn't in response to the convo above, just making a general point.
I think I have an answer to the gentleman's question, although it's a depressing one.

I'm flipping around right now. CNN has Anderson Cooper reporting from Tel Aviv about audio the IDF has of Hamas fighters "bragging about killing Jews." On NewsNation, Dan Abrams is talking about the hostages, and how far Israel might be willing to go to get them back. Fox is talking about Biden's border crisis, and MSNBC is talking about Trump's Georgia case, but I'm pretty sure they've both spent some time talking about Israel, too. Thousands dead, atrocities committed, millions of people facing untold levels of danger. Children dead. Hospitals destroyed. Bodies desecrated. Etc.

Why don't the marches get wall-to-wall coverage? Because when the Nazi assholes marched in Charlottesville, they were as bad as it got. A bunch of people said horrible one things, and one guy killed someone. And after that happened, that one death dominated the news about the rally.

What's going on in Israel right now is so awful that some ugly marches barely register. If someone got run over by a car at one of the rallies, it would probably make the news for five minutes. What's happening right now is antisemitism on a whole different level than what we usually see in America (thankfully). When there are questions about whether or not babies were decapitated or "only" burned to death, a bunch of assholes marching around carrying signs and flags just don't earn a lot of camera time.
 
This was obvious as soon as hostages were taken … “It’s Israel’s fault …”

Hamas and its allies are preparing the information environment to blame Israel for the possible deaths of hostages in the Gaza Strip, especially if Hamas begins killing hostages. Hamas military spokesperson Abu Ubaida said on October 9 that Hamas would kill hostages in response to Israeli airstrikes, indicating Hamas’ willingness to do so for perceived military and/or political gains. Tasnim News Agency—an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—reported on October 22 that Israel’s “clandestine goal” is to “cause the killing of captive Israelis,” according to “informed sources. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) spokesperson Abu Hamza said on October 24 that Israel does not “pay attention” to the lives of hostages.

https://www.understandingwar.org/
 
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This was obvious as soon as hostages were taken … “It’s Israel’s fault …”

Hamas and its allies are preparing the information environment to blame Israel for the possible deaths of hostages in the Gaza Strip, especially if Hamas begins killing hostages. Hamas military spokesperson Abu Ubaida said on October 9 that Hamas would kill hostages in response to Israeli airstrikes, indicating Hamas’ willingness to do so for perceived military and/or political gains. Tasnim News Agency—an Iranian outlet affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—reported on October 22 that Israel’s “clandestine goal” is to “cause the killing of captive Israelis,” according to “informed sources. Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) spokesperson Abu Hamza said on October 24 that Israel does not “pay attention” to the lives of hostages.

https://www.understandingwar.org/
Propaganda aside, I'm not entirely sure they are all that wrong. It felt since the very beginning that, this time, Israel very quickly and very quietly decided the hostages were already casualties and chalked their sacrifice up as a fait accompli.
 
Still no response from the daily attacks. … What’s more, numerous attacks before 10/7 didn’t elicit responses either.

The Islamic Resistance of Iraq—a coalition of Iranian-backed Iraqi militias—has claimed daily attacks on US bases in Iraq and Syria since October 18.
The group has claimed 15 drone and rocket attacks in this time. The group continues to expand the location of its attacks against US forces in Syria. These attacks are part of the Iranian-led effort to deter the United States from providing meaningful support to Israel, as CTP-ISW previously assessed.[36]

  • The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed that it used drones to attack US forces at al Omar and al Shaddadi in eastern and northeastern Syria respectively on October 23.[37] The group claimed the drones “hit their target”. The group has not previously claimed attacks on US forces in al Omar and al Shaddadi.
  • The Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed that it fired two rockets at US forces in Ain al Asad airbase in Iraq on October 24.[38] The group released a video showing the rocket launch but did not include footage of any impact.[39] The Islamic Resistance in Iraq has claimed five attacks on US forces at Ain al Asad airbase since October 18. The leader of the Iranian-backed militia Harakat Hezbollah al Nujaba condemned the Iraqi government over its refusal to expel US forces from Iraq on October 24.[40] Nujaba previously threatened to attack US forces in Iraq in May 2023.[41] London-based, Qatar-funded al Araby al Jadeed reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia al Sudani met with the heads of Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq in an effort to deescalate with US forces in Iraq.[42] Nujaba and another Iranian-backed Iraqi militia, Kataib Hezbollah, refused to meet with Sudani and rejected calls for de-escalation.[43]
https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-october-24-2023
 
I couldn’t fathom it until Aloha posted that link about the drugs they use. That makes sense to me.

Taking those drugs won’t turn you or me into someone who beheads, but I can certainly see them turning an already troubled, violent person into something worse.
I’ve read a couple books that mentioned the drugs that were given to the young boys forced to fight in Africa, and storm, burn and destroy villages. And the gang mentality too, something you might never do on your own doesn’t seem quite so awful when everyone is doing it.
 
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Propaganda aside, I'm not entirely sure they are all that wrong. It felt since the very beginning that, this time, Israel very quickly and very quietly decided the hostages were already casualties and chalked their sacrifice up as a fait accompli.
Propaganda aside, militarily, close quarter fighting through tunnels with daggers and 9mm could cost more soldiers than the number of hostages that may be saved. And could be Hamas’ strategy all along (after they bought all the time they could).

(The tunnel rats in ’Nam didn’t have to worry about shooing a hostage by mistake).
 
Propaganda aside, militarily, close quarter fighting through tunnels with daggers and 9mm could cost more soldiers than the number of hostages that may be saved.
Of course. Rescue is not an option, at least for the vast majority of them. Any hostages that get out of this alive will only get out because Hamas decided to let them go. It sounds like right now they are dangling at least some of them as an incentive for Israel to not invade. I don't see that as working, is my point.
 
I think I have an answer to the gentleman's question, although it's a depressing one.

I'm flipping around right now. CNN has Anderson Cooper reporting from Tel Aviv about audio the IDF has of Hamas fighters "bragging about killing Jews." On NewsNation, Dan Abrams is talking about the hostages, and how far Israel might be willing to go to get them back. Fox is talking about Biden's border crisis, and MSNBC is talking about Trump's Georgia case, but I'm pretty sure they've both spent some time talking about Israel, too. Thousands dead, atrocities committed, millions of people facing untold levels of danger. Children dead. Hospitals destroyed. Bodies desecrated. Etc.

Why don't the marches get wall-to-wall coverage? Because when the Nazi assholes marched in Charlottesville, they were as bad as it got. A bunch of people said horrible one things, and one guy killed someone. And after that happened, that one death dominated the news about the rally.

What's going on in Israel right now is so awful that some ugly marches barely register. If someone got run over by a car at one of the rallies, it would probably make the news for five minutes. What's happening right now is antisemitism on a whole different level than what we usually see in America (thankfully). When there are questions about whether or not babies were decapitated or "only" burned to death, a bunch of assholes marching around carrying signs and flags just don't earn a lot of camera time.

That is valid.

I think the marchers point to a deeper problem though.

https://forward.com/opinion/566570/intellectual-left-israel-gaza/?utm_source=The

Dropping this commentary here as it is tangential to my point. I am also going to apologize in advance because I might be all over the place here.

We (you and I) have a problem here. We are joined to some people through our differing political beliefs who have shown themselves to be lunatics. I have long thought there was a problem in academia that this latest conflagration is just laying bare. It has been one of my major issues with the DEI stuff. The focus on intersectionality is inherently racist IMO. It slices and dices the world up in such a way to force people into viewing the world through that lens. So that isn't surprising to me.

The conflict got me to sign up for a Twitter (X) account. Musk changed the platform which made it a pain in the ass to get content without the account. I resisted for a long time because I could still browse in the past. It is hard to avoid because I think if you are judicious with your BS detector, it is a pretty good source of info. Unfiltered info that you don't get through classic media outlets. You start browsing and the algorithms kick in. Man there are a ****-ton of people on "my side" who came out of the woodwork with antisemitism adjacent content wrapped in America First. I knew it existed to a degree but dear lord Twitter....

It is like the whackadoodles on my side reached across the horseshoe to shake hands with the whackadoodles on yours in some unholy the Jews suck alliance and what the actual **** is going on?

I don't know, my disappointment is immense. There are still a bunch of voices on my side that I am in agreement with, which is good...I just, I don't know...not happy with the state of things.
 
That is valid.

I think the marchers point to a deeper problem though.

https://forward.com/opinion/566570/intellectual-left-israel-gaza/?utm_source=The

Dropping this commentary here as it is tangential to my point. I am also going to apologize in advance because I might be all over the place here.

We (you and I) have a problem here. We are joined to some people through our differing political beliefs who have shown themselves to be lunatics. I have long thought there was a problem in academia that this latest conflagration is just laying bare. It has been one of my major issues with the DEI stuff. The focus on intersectionality is inherently racist IMO. It slices and dices the world up in such a way to force people into viewing the world through that lens. So that isn't surprising to me.

The conflict got me to sign up for a Twitter (X) account. Musk changed the platform which made it a pain in the ass to get content without the account. I resisted for a long time because I could still browse in the past. It is hard to avoid because I think if you are judicious with your BS detector, it is a pretty good source of info. Unfiltered info that you don't get through classic media outlets. You start browsing and the algorithms kick in. Man there are a ****-ton of people on "my side" who came out of the woodwork with antisemitism adjacent content wrapped in America First. I knew it existed to a degree but dear lord Twitter....

It is like the whackadoodles on my side reached across the horseshoe to shake hands with the whackadoodles on yours in some unholy the Jews suck alliance and what the actual **** is going on?

I don't know, my disappointment is immense. There are still a bunch of voices on my side that I am in agreement with, which is good...I just, I don't know...not happy with the state of things.
I can totally relate to this.
 
That is valid.

I think the marchers point to a deeper problem though.

https://forward.com/opinion/566570/intellectual-left-israel-gaza/?utm_source=The

Dropping this commentary here as it is tangential to my point. I am also going to apologize in advance because I might be all over the place here.

We (you and I) have a problem here. We are joined to some people through our differing political beliefs who have shown themselves to be lunatics. I have long thought there was a problem in academia that this latest conflagration is just laying bare. It has been one of my major issues with the DEI stuff. The focus on intersectionality is inherently racist IMO. It slices and dices the world up in such a way to force people into viewing the world through that lens. So that isn't surprising to me.

The conflict got me to sign up for a Twitter (X) account. Musk changed the platform which made it a pain in the ass to get content without the account. I resisted for a long time because I could still browse in the past. It is hard to avoid because I think if you are judicious with your BS detector, it is a pretty good source of info. Unfiltered info that you don't get through classic media outlets. You start browsing and the algorithms kick in. Man there are a ****-ton of people on "my side" who came out of the woodwork with antisemitism adjacent content wrapped in America First. I knew it existed to a degree but dear lord Twitter....

It is like the whackadoodles on my side reached across the horseshoe to shake hands with the whackadoodles on yours in some unholy the Jews suck alliance and what the actual **** is going on?

I don't know, my disappointment is immense. There are still a bunch of voices on my side that I am in agreement with, which is good...I just, I don't know...not happy with the state of things.
Spirit of anti christ has to invade from every direction to accomplish its goal.
 
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I see a whole bunch of denying going on out there on the extremes of each side of the aisle in this country. There are a whole bunch of people exposing themselves around this incident and letting their flag fly on social media. The people who did this are monsters, calling them animals wouldn't be low enough. And those who support and excuse it are no better.
I know. Those people follow some woke idea of "love your enemies and do good to those that persecute you". Where do they get such foolishness?
 
I know. Those people follow some woke idea of "love your enemies and do good to those that persecute you". Where do they get such foolishness?

Yeah because saying the Jews deserved it is clearly loving your enemies. I mean Jesus would have totally been up front saying, "Yeah I know the Nazis are systematically killing every Jew in site but you have to understand the complexity in their position as they rape and murder their way across Europe."

Give me a break.
 
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Yep, the Iranians bring supplies in through that airport. They aren't going to allow air traffic there until this pressing issue is resolved (from their POV).
?? I though it was funny. Wait just until the concrete repairs dry (not before) and then ..... Kaabooom. Back to work boys, see you again in 4 days.
 
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