I’m going to cautiously suggest that, despite continuing warfare—both kinetic and rhetorical, there may be hope that Israel will refrain from a ground invasion of Gaza, thus averting the worst of a humanitarian calamity. This will also avert the worst of what could be a political calamity for both the US and Israel. In this scenario, Israel will continue its attacks on Gaza for an additional, indefinite, period of time but will then declare victory while reserving the right to launch further attacks if Hamas continues its own. The US will then claim a diplomatic and humanitarian success. Iran, Saudi Arabia, and possibly other countries will also claim successes, of various sorts. Hamas, too, will claim victory.
I hope things play out in this direction. We in the U.S. have to find a way to rope in the neocons in our own country. Their meddling and instigations have crushed our opportunities to usher in prosperity and peace into a dangerous world. In fact, misery and dangerous alliances everywhere can and should be laid at their feet, along with a staggering national debt and the coming collapse of the world’s economy. If we are judged by history based on missed opportunities, we in the U.S. have truly cleared the field of all competition and deserve the triple crown of moral and diplomatic failure. What country if it possesses any Wisdom at all would engineer much less allow the horrible neighborhood Israel finds itself in today? Land for peace, destroying Libya, propping up Iran, winking and nodding at a nuclear Iran, doing all we can to cultivate the most dangerous alliance of bad actors the world has ever seen then invite China into the Middle East? Anyone who foretold these things would’ve rightly been excluded from sane conversation and sitting in the corner. You just can’t make this crap up! There’s your sign..
WW2 was a continuation of WW1 in many respects, right?
Is the coming WW3 just another continuation of WW2? Settling of unresolved issues coming to a head?
I say this because the formal recognition of the state of Israel was an outcome of WW2 in many respects. But the core issues involved were never satisfactorily resolved at the time and kicked down the road and allowed to fester for all of these years.
I don’t know. Something that’s rattling around in the brain.
I think you’re onto something. The Cold War was a war after all. And not very cold in some places. The difficulty now is to map the factions. Why is Russia an enemy although no longer communist? I believe because although ideology is useful to rally the sides, essentially fights are over territory and resources. Same as it ever was. But yes, the war shifted in 1945 but didn’t stop.
Very interesting point. Alex M at the Duran seems more to favour the cause of the delay as Israeli waiting till all its forces are fully mobilised. They also lost a lot of their 155mm artillery stocks when the US diverted them to Ukraine. However, there definitely seems to be a serious backlash towards Israel's "bomb them back into the Stone Age" policy developing among the regional and international heavyweights.
Can Israel fight and target Hamas destroying it / killing the majority of members with a low civilian body count?
Basically how Russia is de nazifying Ukraine by luring them into attacks.
Perhaps Israel believes by evacuating the civilians from an area, they remove the use of civilian shields, as Hamas has placed stuff in civilian areas. This way they can destroy tunnels, missiles, arms depots, etc. without civilian casualties.
Or will Hamas just hide among the refugees.
Netanyahu has traditionally been restrained in his use of the Israeli Military.
Netanyahu‘s career is over probably (he’s been written off before), so he may be focused on solving the Hamas issue permanently.
I follow Richard Medhurst YouTube channel. Not the most polished or articulate person but he covers many topics I find others shy away from. Kinda a junior Aaron Mate’.
Speaking of Aaron. He has a lengthy Substack out today that covers a lot of historical ground on this subject.
As for the Israeli delay? Not buying it. My guess is there plan is to reduce the size if the Gaza Strip by 50%. Time will tell.
Speaking of Aaron Maté...one of the reasons he is so thoughtful and impressive is that he has a very thoughtful and impressive father, by the name of Gabor Maté, a physician in Vancouver, CN and a well-known and applauded author.
Gabor Maté posted this video about the situation in Israel the other day, which my wife found and which we both think is extremely moving:
So Israel is supposed to call it just another day in the neighborhood and bury its 1300 dead and wait for more rockets and motorized hang gliders? So the Zionist experiment is kaput and the Jews ought to go back to where they came from? Is that how you propose to settle the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question.”
So that’s why there are white, black, and brown Jewish Israelis? Just which race do the Zionists believe is supreme? Huskynut, when is your concentration camp guard training complete?
Perhaps 'tribal' supremacy would be a good compromise? As in so many things, I believe there is not complete agreement among self identified Jews on these matters, although your view would clearly be the majority.
Maybe it's common knowledge to most, but I just found out that Israel is about half/half Mizrahi ("oriental" or middle eastern) and Ashkenazi (Euro). Former tends to be more right, more religious; the latter more left, more secular. Mizrahi's are gaining political/cultural clout and the recent judicial kerfuffle seems to split along these lines.
In addition to calling it a day, they might check their security around the border with Gaza. Exactly how this failure was possible on so many levels remains a conundrum that has not been adequately explained.
Is the Zionist experiment kaput? That depends. I doubt that it is kaput in the mind of Zionist true believers. Among all others, yes, Zionism will come under increasingly devastating critique. It will increasingly be exposed as a bad idea at best--unjust, delusional.
It's a real possibility. The US drew large amounts of 155mm munitions that were stockpiled in Israel and sent it all to Ukraine--I presume it's all been used up by now. If the US was worried that supplies were already short, you can be sure they're alarmed at the prospect of Israel demanding resupply far what would surely be a munitions intensive war, especially if Hezbollah gets involved. There's simply no way Israel's economy can support any long war.
The good news is that we’re seeing conflicting reports of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah today, while Israel has postponed their invasion of Gaza for the time being. It will be touch and go this week, however, as there are too many imperatives outside of the Middle East pushing this into a potentially wider conflict.
For now, it looks like the US is being forced to choose between Ukraine and Israel. The UK still wants both conflicts and Europe just wants the US to die. The feeling is mutual in D.C. towards Brussels. If you can’t see that at this point, I can’t help you.
Watch Russia’s response here as everything that has unfolded so far breaks in their favor with higher oil prices, Arab solidarity with the Palestinians, and real fracturing in Europe over continuing Project Ukraine.
Unfortunately, for Israel, they have no good options here, and that means they will likely do what is ultimately in their best interests despite the wider consequences.
Ha, and here's the man himself! Putin is playing his cards very close to his chest for the time being. As for the EU, I hope with all my heart that Tom is right. The Euroweenie nations need to start telling DC AND Brussels where to get off.
You’re in good company out on that limb! Just saw this from Bahdrakumar:
https://www.indianpunchline.com/us-faces-defeat-in-geopolitical-war-in-gaza/
Thanks, will read, catching up on comments now. Yes, as if the destruction of NATO weren't enough for the Neocons, further isolation of the US ...
Perhaps it's inevitable and good may come from a geopolitical retrenchment.
Yes, let’s hope so!
I hope things play out in this direction. We in the U.S. have to find a way to rope in the neocons in our own country. Their meddling and instigations have crushed our opportunities to usher in prosperity and peace into a dangerous world. In fact, misery and dangerous alliances everywhere can and should be laid at their feet, along with a staggering national debt and the coming collapse of the world’s economy. If we are judged by history based on missed opportunities, we in the U.S. have truly cleared the field of all competition and deserve the triple crown of moral and diplomatic failure. What country if it possesses any Wisdom at all would engineer much less allow the horrible neighborhood Israel finds itself in today? Land for peace, destroying Libya, propping up Iran, winking and nodding at a nuclear Iran, doing all we can to cultivate the most dangerous alliance of bad actors the world has ever seen then invite China into the Middle East? Anyone who foretold these things would’ve rightly been excluded from sane conversation and sitting in the corner. You just can’t make this crap up! There’s your sign..
Don't shoot the messenger.. I didn't write the book of Talmudic Judaism.
Reconcile this with Blinken’s outreach to China.
https://www.newarab.com/news/us-state-dept-memo-prohibits-de-escalatory-framing-gaza?amp
WW2 was a continuation of WW1 in many respects, right?
Is the coming WW3 just another continuation of WW2? Settling of unresolved issues coming to a head?
I say this because the formal recognition of the state of Israel was an outcome of WW2 in many respects. But the core issues involved were never satisfactorily resolved at the time and kicked down the road and allowed to fester for all of these years.
I don’t know. Something that’s rattling around in the brain.
I think you’re onto something. The Cold War was a war after all. And not very cold in some places. The difficulty now is to map the factions. Why is Russia an enemy although no longer communist? I believe because although ideology is useful to rally the sides, essentially fights are over territory and resources. Same as it ever was. But yes, the war shifted in 1945 but didn’t stop.
Very interesting point. Alex M at the Duran seems more to favour the cause of the delay as Israeli waiting till all its forces are fully mobilised. They also lost a lot of their 155mm artillery stocks when the US diverted them to Ukraine. However, there definitely seems to be a serious backlash towards Israel's "bomb them back into the Stone Age" policy developing among the regional and international heavyweights.
My thinking aligns with the Duran duo.
Can Israel fight and target Hamas destroying it / killing the majority of members with a low civilian body count?
Basically how Russia is de nazifying Ukraine by luring them into attacks.
Perhaps Israel believes by evacuating the civilians from an area, they remove the use of civilian shields, as Hamas has placed stuff in civilian areas. This way they can destroy tunnels, missiles, arms depots, etc. without civilian casualties.
Or will Hamas just hide among the refugees.
Netanyahu has traditionally been restrained in his use of the Israeli Military.
Netanyahu‘s career is over probably (he’s been written off before), so he may be focused on solving the Hamas issue permanently.
Meanwhile Hamas blockades Gaza residents from fleeing.
I follow Richard Medhurst YouTube channel. Not the most polished or articulate person but he covers many topics I find others shy away from. Kinda a junior Aaron Mate’.
Speaking of Aaron. He has a lengthy Substack out today that covers a lot of historical ground on this subject.
As for the Israeli delay? Not buying it. My guess is there plan is to reduce the size if the Gaza Strip by 50%. Time will tell.
Speaking of Aaron Maté...one of the reasons he is so thoughtful and impressive is that he has a very thoughtful and impressive father, by the name of Gabor Maté, a physician in Vancouver, CN and a well-known and applauded author.
Gabor Maté posted this video about the situation in Israel the other day, which my wife found and which we both think is extremely moving:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6_GDDa4bmI
Yep Cass I'm familiar with his father Gabor. Great blood line thinkers. I'll check out the video. thx for this.
"If you think there's a solution you're part of the problem."
- George Carlin
‐‐----------'
That's where I'm at now...
LOL! But is agreeing that there's no solution actually ... a solution?
Thought provoking isn't it?
It's a direct challenge to Human Nature and Governing Bodies
Turns everything upside down
Like I said, I don't have any idea anymore, at all.
“It also says a lot about “ about all those people who think that killing other humans is okay because they are right.
“To kill another human being is called murder, but to kill in an organised way in war is considered moral.” J.Krishnamurti
Or that two wrongs somehow make a right?
So Israel is supposed to call it just another day in the neighborhood and bury its 1300 dead and wait for more rockets and motorized hang gliders? So the Zionist experiment is kaput and the Jews ought to go back to where they came from? Is that how you propose to settle the “Final Solution of the Jewish Question.”
Perhaps Zionism could give up its belief in its inherent racial supremacy?
That would go along way towards seeing world more clearly.
So that’s why there are white, black, and brown Jewish Israelis? Just which race do the Zionists believe is supreme? Huskynut, when is your concentration camp guard training complete?
Perhaps 'tribal' supremacy would be a good compromise? As in so many things, I believe there is not complete agreement among self identified Jews on these matters, although your view would clearly be the majority.
Maybe it's common knowledge to most, but I just found out that Israel is about half/half Mizrahi ("oriental" or middle eastern) and Ashkenazi (Euro). Former tends to be more right, more religious; the latter more left, more secular. Mizrahi's are gaining political/cultural clout and the recent judicial kerfuffle seems to split along these lines.
In addition to calling it a day, they might check their security around the border with Gaza. Exactly how this failure was possible on so many levels remains a conundrum that has not been adequately explained.
Is the Zionist experiment kaput? That depends. I doubt that it is kaput in the mind of Zionist true believers. Among all others, yes, Zionism will come under increasingly devastating critique. It will increasingly be exposed as a bad idea at best--unjust, delusional.
"unjust, delusional..."
Or perhaps simply unworkable.
I might like it if everyone here in the good ol' USA worshipped my god...but that's just not gonna work.
Methinks Israel might have realised the rumours of Ukraine sucking up all the Western arms and ammo is true.
Its hard to start an ammo heavy invasion without it.
Everyone suddenly wants peace when they realise they will loose the attrition warefare.
Yep. Israel has great high-tech industries but it is too small to have a large industrial capacity. it relies on Uncle Sam for most everything.
It's a real possibility. The US drew large amounts of 155mm munitions that were stockpiled in Israel and sent it all to Ukraine--I presume it's all been used up by now. If the US was worried that supplies were already short, you can be sure they're alarmed at the prospect of Israel demanding resupply far what would surely be a munitions intensive war, especially if Hezbollah gets involved. There's simply no way Israel's economy can support any long war.
Full Disclosure--in case you hadn't figured this out yet:
If I'm right I'll take full credit. If I'm wrong about an Israeli invasion, I'll just say I knew I was going out on a limb, so no big deal.
Mark, you're stepping into Tom L's "Theory of Everything" territory on this one! :)
Kinda like belonging to two religions.
Well, you seem to have it all figured out.
Luongo:
The good news is that we’re seeing conflicting reports of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah today, while Israel has postponed their invasion of Gaza for the time being. It will be touch and go this week, however, as there are too many imperatives outside of the Middle East pushing this into a potentially wider conflict.
For now, it looks like the US is being forced to choose between Ukraine and Israel. The UK still wants both conflicts and Europe just wants the US to die. The feeling is mutual in D.C. towards Brussels. If you can’t see that at this point, I can’t help you.
Watch Russia’s response here as everything that has unfolded so far breaks in their favor with higher oil prices, Arab solidarity with the Palestinians, and real fracturing in Europe over continuing Project Ukraine.
Unfortunately, for Israel, they have no good options here, and that means they will likely do what is ultimately in their best interests despite the wider consequences.
Ha, and here's the man himself! Putin is playing his cards very close to his chest for the time being. As for the EU, I hope with all my heart that Tom is right. The Euroweenie nations need to start telling DC AND Brussels where to get off.
Curious to consider how the UN may react to this given their dismissal of Russia's UN actions to bring forth the Nord Stream incident.
Election season (for all) is just around the corner.