A small bit of common sense wisdom. Most hardcore addicts never recover and just die in miserable slow motion. The few that do find redemption are usually the ones that hit a hard and fast bottom once all the enablers are removed. That is the circumstance that our empire finds itself in. We can either muddle-through once again and take a long slow miserable descent to obscurity, or we can get the enablers out of the way and expeditiously proceed to the hard truth and hard knocks of our predicament and crash to the bottom now. Only then will the masses come to see reality for what it is and then it's either roll up your sleeves or die in the gutter.
Thanks for posting. Smug has a keen view. Razor-sharp. I think that this will age well (her 55 part thread from 2 February has). the picture of the eagle flying along the cliffside is hopeful. Birds do learn to fly while falling.
Anyone who gives it much thought sees the at the solution is subsidiarity, which I am interpreting as action at the local level. Food, employment, culture: it's both where we need and want to be, and are heading like it or not.
"Since the start of Israel's war with Hamas on October 7, 2023, the United States has enacted legislation providing at least $12.5 billion in direct military aid to Israel."
Milton Friedman said that it is very easy to spend someone else's money (ours) on somebody else (Israel). Just ask the U.S. Congress. We are responsible for all the mayhem and destruction and killing money can buy in the M.E. through the Israelis. How long they could survive economically without us is a very good question and one to which I would like an answer.
My guess is games are being played with the numbers, and they are even higher. I know, it’s shocking that governments would lie on economic data. Note Israel has strict censorship because of the Gaza war.
I’m surprised that Israel has continued the Gaza war this long, but my gut feeling is Netanyahu feels his back is to the wall, fighting on deaths ground, and needs the war to continue till he defeats the Israeli deep state.
Yes, interesting. Thanks for the numbers although it isn't clear from the article reporting on the Bank of Israel just what timeframe is being considered. It sounds like the defense expenditures may have doubled from 2022 to 2023 and 2024. In 2023 and 2024 it looks like we have been paying for 25% of the overall defense expenditures and associated loss of income in the economy. In 2025 who knows what they are spending, with the incursions into Lebanon and the bombings of Syria? One can understand why they were not averse to a cease-fire in Gaza.
That 10% of GDP in 2023 and 2024 just for the Gaza war is a big (I am assuming unexpected) chunk out of their economy but I guess it hasn't stopped them from additional activities in Lebanon, Syria, and nominally attacking Iran. Unlike us they can't just print money when it is needed. So where is the money needed to keep their economy afloat coming from during all of this aggressive action, other than from U.S. foreign aid? I don't know. Thanks, Ray
These toadies come out with their recollections and memoires ex post facto when all the damage has been done, deploring a state of affairs they themselves colluded in - Klain/Zients/Rice and others - and in so doing gave the middle finger to We the People. And now they want WtP to purchase their drivel? Beyond infuriating.
ML: you hit the nail right between the eyes on that one! I’m so fed up with these lowlifes coming out after the fact and admitting that they knew that Biden was a total basket case who shouldn’t have been the Head Dogcatcher in Bozeman, Montana let alone President of the United States and yet somehow they skip over the fact that they were enabling and facilitating this fantasy upon the country! Waay beyond infuriating for sure. Hey, 60 Minutes and Leslie Stahl in particular, are you listening? Hope you are proud of yourselves for helping sell this farce to the American public! And you still don’t have a clue about why you guys in the fourth estate are held in such contempt. Well, I’ve done it again and broken another pissedoffometer. Third one this week :-)
Too late D: The mayor of Bozeman and the head of the UDCU-(united dog catchers union) have already expressed their extreme unhappiness with my comments! :-)
Interesting, in Yemen. US wants to use Reapers, but they keep getting shot down. Houthis engage USS Harry with (cheap) cruise missiles and drones rather than more important ballistic missiles--working to deplete missile defenses:
JacobCharite Иагов @jaccocharite
Houthis announce shooting down SECOND US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone IN 72 HOURS
The drone was carrying out hostile operations in the airspace of the Hodeidah province, the movement’s spokesman said.
Yemen Military @Yemenimilitary
The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation in which they engaged the American aircraft carrier Truman and several of its accompanying warships with a number of cruise missiles and drones north of the Red Sea.
from MW's Empire of Hate: " what has made the United States Israel's partner in war? Is it the influence of the Israeli donor class on American politics, or is it America's lust for oil, or is it something else..."
Striking how these Israeli "intellectuals" define-describe-identify Israeli-ness in terms of American-ness.
One more arrow in my quiver: zionism is, ultimately, a frantic, tragic search for identity, of a people who at bottom consider themselves inferior (Nordau, Herzl's psychiatrist, used term Degenerate), constantly measuring themselves against Others, and feeling adequate only by destroying that Other.
A small bit of common sense wisdom. Most hardcore addicts never recover and just die in miserable slow motion. The few that do find redemption are usually the ones that hit a hard and fast bottom once all the enablers are removed. That is the circumstance that our empire finds itself in. We can either muddle-through once again and take a long slow miserable descent to obscurity, or we can get the enablers out of the way and expeditiously proceed to the hard truth and hard knocks of our predicament and crash to the bottom now. Only then will the masses come to see reality for what it is and then it's either roll up your sleeves or die in the gutter.
Thanks for posting. Smug has a keen view. Razor-sharp. I think that this will age well (her 55 part thread from 2 February has). the picture of the eagle flying along the cliffside is hopeful. Birds do learn to fly while falling.
Anyone who gives it much thought sees the at the solution is subsidiarity, which I am interpreting as action at the local level. Food, employment, culture: it's both where we need and want to be, and are heading like it or not.
I wonder how much longer Israel can survive economically. My guess is until Netanyahu is politically safe, or he gets ousted.
Fighting a multi front war is not cheap, plus undergoing missile attacks that impact the economy.
Syria - bombing.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/warning-turkey-israel-strikes-several-bases-across-syria
Lebanon - bombing.
Gaza - ground invasion again.
Missile attacks into Israel from Yemen, unknown impact.
And I wonder on what is the us carrier doing, besides being a target? Perhaps just a political statement.
Seems b-2’s are being used only to attack in Yemen, and with their maintenance required I wonder how frequently.
From one of the horses' mouths:
"Since the start of Israel's war with Hamas on October 7, 2023, the United States has enacted legislation providing at least $12.5 billion in direct military aid to Israel."
https://www.cfr.org/article/us-aid-israel-four-charts
Milton Friedman said that it is very easy to spend someone else's money (ours) on somebody else (Israel). Just ask the U.S. Congress. We are responsible for all the mayhem and destruction and killing money can buy in the M.E. through the Israelis. How long they could survive economically without us is a very good question and one to which I would like an answer.
Interesting.
Per this site the yearly military budget of Israel is $24 billion
https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/ISR/israel/military-spending-defense-budget#google_vignette
My guess is additional cost to Israel are not counted. Such as:
cost of reserve mobilization to the economy
Economic cost of decreased investment
Increased import cost
This site guesses costs of $67 billion including military:
https://www.macrotrends.net/global-metrics/countries/ISR/israel/military-spending-defense-budget#google_vignette
2023 estimates was $50 billion:
https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/syl3sdgh6
My guess is games are being played with the numbers, and they are even higher. I know, it’s shocking that governments would lie on economic data. Note Israel has strict censorship because of the Gaza war.
I’m surprised that Israel has continued the Gaza war this long, but my gut feeling is Netanyahu feels his back is to the wall, fighting on deaths ground, and needs the war to continue till he defeats the Israeli deep state.
Yes, interesting. Thanks for the numbers although it isn't clear from the article reporting on the Bank of Israel just what timeframe is being considered. It sounds like the defense expenditures may have doubled from 2022 to 2023 and 2024. In 2023 and 2024 it looks like we have been paying for 25% of the overall defense expenditures and associated loss of income in the economy. In 2025 who knows what they are spending, with the incursions into Lebanon and the bombings of Syria? One can understand why they were not averse to a cease-fire in Gaza.
That 10% of GDP in 2023 and 2024 just for the Gaza war is a big (I am assuming unexpected) chunk out of their economy but I guess it hasn't stopped them from additional activities in Lebanon, Syria, and nominally attacking Iran. Unlike us they can't just print money when it is needed. So where is the money needed to keep their economy afloat coming from during all of this aggressive action, other than from U.S. foreign aid? I don't know. Thanks, Ray
These toadies come out with their recollections and memoires ex post facto when all the damage has been done, deploring a state of affairs they themselves colluded in - Klain/Zients/Rice and others - and in so doing gave the middle finger to We the People. And now they want WtP to purchase their drivel? Beyond infuriating.
ML: you hit the nail right between the eyes on that one! I’m so fed up with these lowlifes coming out after the fact and admitting that they knew that Biden was a total basket case who shouldn’t have been the Head Dogcatcher in Bozeman, Montana let alone President of the United States and yet somehow they skip over the fact that they were enabling and facilitating this fantasy upon the country! Waay beyond infuriating for sure. Hey, 60 Minutes and Leslie Stahl in particular, are you listening? Hope you are proud of yourselves for helping sell this farce to the American public! And you still don’t have a clue about why you guys in the fourth estate are held in such contempt. Well, I’ve done it again and broken another pissedoffometer. Third one this week :-)
SMH, how dare you insult Bozeman, Montana, and dogcatchers in general? Just kidding. Your comment has my complete and total endorsement.
Too late D: The mayor of Bozeman and the head of the UDCU-(united dog catchers union) have already expressed their extreme unhappiness with my comments! :-)
Interesting, in Yemen. US wants to use Reapers, but they keep getting shot down. Houthis engage USS Harry with (cheap) cruise missiles and drones rather than more important ballistic missiles--working to deplete missile defenses:
JacobCharite Иагов @jaccocharite
Houthis announce shooting down SECOND US MQ-9 reconnaissance drone IN 72 HOURS
The drone was carrying out hostile operations in the airspace of the Hodeidah province, the movement’s spokesman said.
Yemen Military @Yemenimilitary
The Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a military operation in which they engaged the American aircraft carrier Truman and several of its accompanying warships with a number of cruise missiles and drones north of the Red Sea.
Trump--full of surprises:
Megatron @Megatron_ron
 President Trump introduced a 17% tariff on Israel despite its complete elimination of duties on US imports.
Israeli economic officials are stunned by the U.S. decision to impose a 17% tariff:
"We are in shock. We were sure that the decision to completely cancel tariffs on imports from the U.S. would prevent this move. But it didn't happen."
They will pay until his son-in-law gets that beach front property to develop and sell.
Ha, ha. ha! He's a card, isn't he?
from MW's Empire of Hate: " what has made the United States Israel's partner in war? Is it the influence of the Israeli donor class on American politics, or is it America's lust for oil, or is it something else..."
Micah Goodman on "Israel's changing character" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceterCRyWQM
Striking how these Israeli "intellectuals" define-describe-identify Israeli-ness in terms of American-ness.
One more arrow in my quiver: zionism is, ultimately, a frantic, tragic search for identity, of a people who at bottom consider themselves inferior (Nordau, Herzl's psychiatrist, used term Degenerate), constantly measuring themselves against Others, and feeling adequate only by destroying that Other.
we replaced decadent communists with demonic frat boys
Oooooo Marvin, I’m telling Vicky Nuland that you said that! :-)