Let’s start with this remarkable video. What it shows is the divide within Israeli society, which also extends to the IDF. Polls show that near 80% of Israelis blame Netanyahu—video at the link: Iran Observer @IranObserver0 An Israeli reservist soldier shouts at Netanyahu while he is at a military base in the Gaza Strip:
Your mention of the USS Carney and the SMO covers probably the most critical of all issues should the dimwits decide to go for War in the Middle East.
The issue of ammo.
The West has no industrial capacity to replenish stocks. The west has depleted a lot of stock by arming Ukraine. The potential combatants in the ME war are stocked up, with access to industry.
Its going to hell very soon, and I don't see how Israel can survive when they can be completely isolated by geography alone.
And If Egypt enters into the fray, the Suez Canal is closed. Hows that going to go for global trade? Lots of repercussions here that I don't think many have thought through.
G'evening Antipodes, It stings that I must 'like' your reply (It is worthy!) when the truth of what you say I so dislike. I guess that's the comment-thing (seemingly a digital re-working of meanings of words). But I do appreciate your post! Best regards! (WrH)
"We don't want a war!" So sayeth Mac Gregor, the good Colonel. Indeed "we" don't want war, however, what "we" want is completely irrelevant to "our" SNOG* . You see, SNOG is publicly most concerned with "white supremacy" , when in fact "we" actually are subjected to bribe supremacy. Bribe supremacy makes SNOG very powerful and happy, while "we" groan, moan, mumble.
Yes. I was wondering who "we" was but I knew it wasn't the Biden admin, the Congress, or the MIC. Reminds me of a quote from the late, great P.J. O'Rourke: "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." Unfortunately we are in the back seat of the car, just along for the ride. Witness the effect of all of those phone calls for Speaker Jordan.
Sadly, "we" weren't able to keep the Republic. What will "we" be able to keep in the end?
Brilliant! That’s why the ultimate target in all this is the the United States of America. They have declared their enemy, it’s the white supremacist and that is all those citizens who they disagree with and hate lumped together as WS’s. Bribe supremacy is exactly it. Bribes, corruption and chaos are the unholy trinity. You bribe the ambitious who will do anything to elevate their status and hope to be accepted into their kind, they will corrupt all processes to achieve their needs which is to create chaos which allows them to accumulate greater wealth and power.
The painting of everyone who is not with them as white supremacists is beyond the pale (pardon the pun). It gets old and it’s likely why support for Israel is waning among a growing percentage of Americans.
1. Middle Eastern University Departments have been co-opted by Gulf Money for years.
2. Universities have become more leftist, and Israel was seen as a safe target politically. It went hand in hand with anti colonialism, BLM, etc.
3. Blacks have increased the power in many areas, such as universities using DEI as a battering ram.
4. Brain washing in K-12 and through Media focusing on minorities, and how oppressed they are.
5. White Supremacy has been an incredible fund raiser for the Left. It gets responses. And it drives Democratic Politics. I think it's insane, but obviously I am not the target audience.
6. Most Immigrants to the US have Zero Care about Israel.
7. The Holocaust after 80 or so years is losing relevance to the younger generation. There are not that many holocaust survivors around, or people that freed the death camps. And a gut feeling, the schools have jumped the shark on holocaust education (at least in LAUSD last I checked).
8. Exhaustion on dealing with the middle east after Iraq and Afghanistan.
9. Perhaps fatigue after all the manipulations on Ukraine, where all stops were pulled out.
10. Perhaps the decrease in power of the MSM, including newspapers.
11. Decrease in % of Jews in the US, with growth in other minority groups.
12. Black Americans I doubt have much support for Israel, especially among leaders. Nation of Islam is a force.
A tenant of mine just moved and she took a few days to forward her mail.
One of the mail pieces were not forwarded. Tenant was a female lesbian and White. She was getting from the southern poverty law center (splc) A fund raiser (supposedly survey)on stopping white supremacy. To fight hate and bigotry in California.
Splc is a direct mail powerhouse, so obviously the approach works.
I guess the persistence of the US deployment in eastern Syria is beginning to make sense.
The US runs a block from Iranian supplies to Syria, Turkey has already restricted Russian warship passages through the Bosphorus leaving it threadbare in the Mediterranean and Western supplied anti ship missiles has forced Russia to move its Black Sea fleet.
Israel is given a pretext for full mobilisation by Hamas all the while the target is somewhere else.
The question of whether or to what extent the "intelligence failure" was deliberate quickly devolves into the old malice-vs-incompetence dialectic. I don't see how any point on that continuum would be acceptable to the Israeli public at large.
There is a professional military class in Israel, but it's also a citizen army with mandatory service for young adults. I don't think the lust for revenge generally outweighs the aversion to further loss of life, and I don't think Bibi's position is very strong at all.
Scott Ritter has some terrific info on all this. His 'stack is readily available. I choose not to post the link as it was very, very painful for me to process. I recommend it, but gently. FWIW? (WrH)
It’s a Very strange, peculiar fight. Seems more theater and a way to increase defense funding and Chinese Bribes.
As our elites have outsourced a huge amount of manufacturing to China, and the associated jobs, our economy has suffered. The amount of Chinese influence in the U.S. is incredible. Special deals for friends of China, etc. or the example of targeting up and coming Democrats ( Fang Fang), or Hunter Biden investing.
Yes, really curious. The Chinese were given MFN status and WTO membership in the hopes that it would benefit Western companies and economies and further the cause of "world peace" through financial integration. That's been a mixed bag as by and large this has benefitted the bottom lines of Western companies but not Western economies and not financial stability.
At the same time, China became a world power built on Western trade and investment. Now, yet, the Chinese economy (as opaque as it is) is apparently teetering. The NeoCons now think we have to destroy it to ensure continued U.S. hegemony - after all these years of bleeding capital investment to it out of the U.S. What a cluster****.
There seems to be a clear fissure between the Neocons and the "NY boys" (that is, financial and corporate interests) on this point. Remember Dimon's trip to China trying to smooth things over this year? Half the U.S. politicians (including "I get pudding on Thursdays" Zhou) seem to have been bought off by the Chinese but still go out of their way to antagonize them and talk of war. Go figure.
Well, at least the Republicans are looking good right now, what with all this high school drama over speaker. ( huge eye-roll )!
Anyone else get the impression that we are teetering on the brink of an historic calamity in the ME? A CIC who doesn’t even know what planet he’s on most of the time and his
shadow handlers who seem to have elevated incompetence to an art form, are now facing a gathering storm in the ME that could be the “mother” of all storms. These people are in so far over their heads that they don’t even realize that this situation could precipitate the end of the Republic.
I’m thinking that the Doomsday Clock is down to about 30 seconds till……
G'day SMH, I suggest the end of the Republic is the goal. Your other points sort themselves out with that possible premise... "And to the Republic (for which it stands) One Nation, Under God". Pretty good success thus far with the dilution if not outright dissolving of that 'Under God" part of the Pledge, pillar #2: the Republic. I hope and pray their incompetence provides for that failure rather than of our Republic's fall. Blessings to you sir! (WrH)
Correct, Wayne. Nearly all Western leaders are globalists. And globalist leaders are all Trojan horses: they are programmed to cause as much damage as possible before they are kicked out or finish their term. The prototype for this kind of wrecking ball leader was Obama. Now his kind are everywhere, from Trudeau in Canada to Tusk in Poland.
G'd evening S'21, my heart is heavy as I recognize the truth in your words. It's not just the US Republic loss that is doing that, but human-kind is lost and the globalists can not let God back in. Tyranny fails if there's recognition [edit] it's leaders aren't our god(s). I do wish you the absolute best sir! (WrH)
Thankfully, Wayne, the choice to let God back in rests with every individual. No government or tyrant can stop that. And if you have God, there isn't much to fear.
Amen. I think of many old-testament scripture where God is revealed more when His involvement is front-and-center. When apparently Godless leaders such as 'Abortion for everyone' Biden couple-up with Israel leaders, they ain't standing there in Faith. God just may have His Way in a most painful way for the secular world in today's stuff... I said recently here somewhere, Choose Wisely - this is about our Eternal destiny. I'd note God will not be denied... (WrH)
The current Gaza conflict presents us a strange contrast where religion is concerned, Wayne. On one hand, God's chosen people who have largely abandoned their traditional faith for a bleak secular post-modernism; on the other hand, a people who have taken their faith to the extremes of hatred and barbarism. What a shame we humans never seem to find the middle ground! As you say, God is probably going to have his way.
General Gurulev’s comments about bombing and fighting in cities and rubble brought to mind Monte Cassino Abbey. In WW2 the Allies thought it was occupied by the Germans and bombed it. The Germans then moved into the rubble and took up defensive positions. A huge building on a hill is a rather obvious piece of cover. Who would put their troops inside? Maybe we should have bombed the rubble after they moved in. As for what is happening in Israel if they are going to move in then they are making their work harder. Hard to say for those not of the profession of arms. Attack a city with intact buildings or one with buildings turned to rubble? Perhaps neither. So if Israel is creating rubble and lots of impairments for its own troops is it really going in?
Apart from the moral side of things, it's staggering how incompetent the Israelis are behaving. Their military advisors should be listening to Colonel Macgregor and screaming "Stalingrad!" in Bibi's ear.
Right! But what if those who want to fight in Gaza are too emotionally involved and are not thinking, per MacGregor and are overriding the cooler heads who are relaying the problems of urban warfare? There is ample evidence that this type of fighting is always terrible. As a non-historian I can quickly drum up Stalingrad, urban fighting during the Tet offensive, the Russians in Berlin, Falluja and other cities in Iraq, and possibly Israeli experience in Gaza and Lebanon. And so on. They are aware. They have to be based upon their own experience. Will they be influenced by that knowledge? Is this the only means available to eliminate Hamas? Will Israeli society, given the divisions that apparently include the military, be able to withstand this type of war?
A major shift is ongoing in Israel with the Religious (Zionist) component gaining much power. I'll suggest there are things going on restraining said invasion - which I'm poorly informed about but what seems obvious to be a huge mistake on it's face. Your insight, Hal, is appreciated - I for one respect your comments. thank you. (WrH)
Hello WrH thank you for your kind remarks. We need to have frank discussions about these issues because the consequences of even the correct decisions can be dire. The least of the available evils may be the best course.
As someone wrote on Zerohedge, it's like 1914. Vast stresses have built up over the years that many believe can only be purged by armed conflict, whether it's the ME or Red v Blue in the US. There is madness in the air.
A major problem is that many making these decisions, at least in our leadership, have never been in the service and have no experience with war, contributing to seeming lack of sobriety that we see in these matters. If George W. Bush had been in the infantry in Vietnam perhaps his decisions would be quite different regarding the terror wars.
I was referring to other countries itching for a fight against us. Itching to settle scores. Being well prepared against their adversary. Which would be us, and
As for our dopey leadership and regime, I have zero confidence. If a decision needs to be made, they will make the wrong one.
Very true, DF. Everyone is sick of the US (and the Brits) with their crazy intrigues and military adventurism. However, there is plenty of war fever in our countries too. Just look at CitizenFreePress or the Daily Mail.
Madness indeed. Reckless. Emotion over rationality. Story of humanity I suppose. Part of the fallible human condition. And yes, I too have been dismayed by the selection of links over at CFP.
Your mention of the USS Carney and the SMO covers probably the most critical of all issues should the dimwits decide to go for War in the Middle East.
The issue of ammo.
The West has no industrial capacity to replenish stocks. The west has depleted a lot of stock by arming Ukraine. The potential combatants in the ME war are stocked up, with access to industry.
Its going to hell very soon, and I don't see how Israel can survive when they can be completely isolated by geography alone.
And If Egypt enters into the fray, the Suez Canal is closed. Hows that going to go for global trade? Lots of repercussions here that I don't think many have thought through.
G'evening Antipodes, It stings that I must 'like' your reply (It is worthy!) when the truth of what you say I so dislike. I guess that's the comment-thing (seemingly a digital re-working of meanings of words). But I do appreciate your post! Best regards! (WrH)
"We don't want a war!" So sayeth Mac Gregor, the good Colonel. Indeed "we" don't want war, however, what "we" want is completely irrelevant to "our" SNOG* . You see, SNOG is publicly most concerned with "white supremacy" , when in fact "we" actually are subjected to bribe supremacy. Bribe supremacy makes SNOG very powerful and happy, while "we" groan, moan, mumble.
*SNOG = Satanic Neocon Occupied Government
Yes. I was wondering who "we" was but I knew it wasn't the Biden admin, the Congress, or the MIC. Reminds me of a quote from the late, great P.J. O'Rourke: "Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." Unfortunately we are in the back seat of the car, just along for the ride. Witness the effect of all of those phone calls for Speaker Jordan.
Sadly, "we" weren't able to keep the Republic. What will "we" be able to keep in the end?
Brilliant! That’s why the ultimate target in all this is the the United States of America. They have declared their enemy, it’s the white supremacist and that is all those citizens who they disagree with and hate lumped together as WS’s. Bribe supremacy is exactly it. Bribes, corruption and chaos are the unholy trinity. You bribe the ambitious who will do anything to elevate their status and hope to be accepted into their kind, they will corrupt all processes to achieve their needs which is to create chaos which allows them to accumulate greater wealth and power.
ADL is going after White Supremacists supporting Hamas, and being against Ukraine.
The white lives matter California photo reminds me of the patriot front (rumored fbi operation).
Ukraine is more Nazi, so the accusation against Russia shows how politically biased the adl is.
https://www.adl.org/resources/blog/white-supremacist-leaders-applaud-hamas-and-violence-against-israelis
The painting of everyone who is not with them as white supremacists is beyond the pale (pardon the pun). It gets old and it’s likely why support for Israel is waning among a growing percentage of Americans.
Swags:
1. Middle Eastern University Departments have been co-opted by Gulf Money for years.
2. Universities have become more leftist, and Israel was seen as a safe target politically. It went hand in hand with anti colonialism, BLM, etc.
3. Blacks have increased the power in many areas, such as universities using DEI as a battering ram.
4. Brain washing in K-12 and through Media focusing on minorities, and how oppressed they are.
5. White Supremacy has been an incredible fund raiser for the Left. It gets responses. And it drives Democratic Politics. I think it's insane, but obviously I am not the target audience.
6. Most Immigrants to the US have Zero Care about Israel.
7. The Holocaust after 80 or so years is losing relevance to the younger generation. There are not that many holocaust survivors around, or people that freed the death camps. And a gut feeling, the schools have jumped the shark on holocaust education (at least in LAUSD last I checked).
8. Exhaustion on dealing with the middle east after Iraq and Afghanistan.
9. Perhaps fatigue after all the manipulations on Ukraine, where all stops were pulled out.
10. Perhaps the decrease in power of the MSM, including newspapers.
11. Decrease in % of Jews in the US, with growth in other minority groups.
12. Black Americans I doubt have much support for Israel, especially among leaders. Nation of Islam is a force.
This piece says Social Media is to blame:
https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-sympathize-more-palestinians-israelis-for-first-time-new-study-2023-3
Thanks for your expansive thoughts and ideas. All are good points and make a lot of sense to me.
A tenant of mine just moved and she took a few days to forward her mail.
One of the mail pieces were not forwarded. Tenant was a female lesbian and White. She was getting from the southern poverty law center (splc) A fund raiser (supposedly survey)on stopping white supremacy. To fight hate and bigotry in California.
Splc is a direct mail powerhouse, so obviously the approach works.
I am still in shock over this.
I guess the persistence of the US deployment in eastern Syria is beginning to make sense.
The US runs a block from Iranian supplies to Syria, Turkey has already restricted Russian warship passages through the Bosphorus leaving it threadbare in the Mediterranean and Western supplied anti ship missiles has forced Russia to move its Black Sea fleet.
Israel is given a pretext for full mobilisation by Hamas all the while the target is somewhere else.
I don’t think the U.S. blocks much Iranian supplies. The presence seems to be more because we can.
And their primary port was in Kuwait during this time. Yes, that Kuwait.
The Sirius Report @thesiriusreport
As ever be informed and not entertained.
Yes China had warships in the Gulf.
But the why is important.
They were undertaking planned drills with Oman.
The question of whether or to what extent the "intelligence failure" was deliberate quickly devolves into the old malice-vs-incompetence dialectic. I don't see how any point on that continuum would be acceptable to the Israeli public at large.
There is a professional military class in Israel, but it's also a citizen army with mandatory service for young adults. I don't think the lust for revenge generally outweighs the aversion to further loss of life, and I don't think Bibi's position is very strong at all.
Bibi's career is over. It's just a case of how he wants to leave the stage.
Scott Ritter has some terrific info on all this. His 'stack is readily available. I choose not to post the link as it was very, very painful for me to process. I recommend it, but gently. FWIW? (WrH)
Why in the hell are we picking a fight with China, from whom we get 80% of our goods?
It’s a Very strange, peculiar fight. Seems more theater and a way to increase defense funding and Chinese Bribes.
As our elites have outsourced a huge amount of manufacturing to China, and the associated jobs, our economy has suffered. The amount of Chinese influence in the U.S. is incredible. Special deals for friends of China, etc. or the example of targeting up and coming Democrats ( Fang Fang), or Hunter Biden investing.
Yes, really curious. The Chinese were given MFN status and WTO membership in the hopes that it would benefit Western companies and economies and further the cause of "world peace" through financial integration. That's been a mixed bag as by and large this has benefitted the bottom lines of Western companies but not Western economies and not financial stability.
At the same time, China became a world power built on Western trade and investment. Now, yet, the Chinese economy (as opaque as it is) is apparently teetering. The NeoCons now think we have to destroy it to ensure continued U.S. hegemony - after all these years of bleeding capital investment to it out of the U.S. What a cluster****.
There seems to be a clear fissure between the Neocons and the "NY boys" (that is, financial and corporate interests) on this point. Remember Dimon's trip to China trying to smooth things over this year? Half the U.S. politicians (including "I get pudding on Thursdays" Zhou) seem to have been bought off by the Chinese but still go out of their way to antagonize them and talk of war. Go figure.
Because we have elevated “stupidity” to an art form when it comes to foreign policy and how to not conduct a war!!
I wonder if Xi et al think they're getting good ROI from Zhou and son.
Well, at least the Republicans are looking good right now, what with all this high school drama over speaker. ( huge eye-roll )!
Anyone else get the impression that we are teetering on the brink of an historic calamity in the ME? A CIC who doesn’t even know what planet he’s on most of the time and his
shadow handlers who seem to have elevated incompetence to an art form, are now facing a gathering storm in the ME that could be the “mother” of all storms. These people are in so far over their heads that they don’t even realize that this situation could precipitate the end of the Republic.
I’m thinking that the Doomsday Clock is down to about 30 seconds till……
G'day SMH, I suggest the end of the Republic is the goal. Your other points sort themselves out with that possible premise... "And to the Republic (for which it stands) One Nation, Under God". Pretty good success thus far with the dilution if not outright dissolving of that 'Under God" part of the Pledge, pillar #2: the Republic. I hope and pray their incompetence provides for that failure rather than of our Republic's fall. Blessings to you sir! (WrH)
Correct, Wayne. Nearly all Western leaders are globalists. And globalist leaders are all Trojan horses: they are programmed to cause as much damage as possible before they are kicked out or finish their term. The prototype for this kind of wrecking ball leader was Obama. Now his kind are everywhere, from Trudeau in Canada to Tusk in Poland.
G'd evening S'21, my heart is heavy as I recognize the truth in your words. It's not just the US Republic loss that is doing that, but human-kind is lost and the globalists can not let God back in. Tyranny fails if there's recognition [edit] it's leaders aren't our god(s). I do wish you the absolute best sir! (WrH)
Thankfully, Wayne, the choice to let God back in rests with every individual. No government or tyrant can stop that. And if you have God, there isn't much to fear.
Amen. I think of many old-testament scripture where God is revealed more when His involvement is front-and-center. When apparently Godless leaders such as 'Abortion for everyone' Biden couple-up with Israel leaders, they ain't standing there in Faith. God just may have His Way in a most painful way for the secular world in today's stuff... I said recently here somewhere, Choose Wisely - this is about our Eternal destiny. I'd note God will not be denied... (WrH)
The current Gaza conflict presents us a strange contrast where religion is concerned, Wayne. On one hand, God's chosen people who have largely abandoned their traditional faith for a bleak secular post-modernism; on the other hand, a people who have taken their faith to the extremes of hatred and barbarism. What a shame we humans never seem to find the middle ground! As you say, God is probably going to have his way.
General Gurulev’s comments about bombing and fighting in cities and rubble brought to mind Monte Cassino Abbey. In WW2 the Allies thought it was occupied by the Germans and bombed it. The Germans then moved into the rubble and took up defensive positions. A huge building on a hill is a rather obvious piece of cover. Who would put their troops inside? Maybe we should have bombed the rubble after they moved in. As for what is happening in Israel if they are going to move in then they are making their work harder. Hard to say for those not of the profession of arms. Attack a city with intact buildings or one with buildings turned to rubble? Perhaps neither. So if Israel is creating rubble and lots of impairments for its own troops is it really going in?
Apart from the moral side of things, it's staggering how incompetent the Israelis are behaving. Their military advisors should be listening to Colonel Macgregor and screaming "Stalingrad!" in Bibi's ear.
Right! But what if those who want to fight in Gaza are too emotionally involved and are not thinking, per MacGregor and are overriding the cooler heads who are relaying the problems of urban warfare? There is ample evidence that this type of fighting is always terrible. As a non-historian I can quickly drum up Stalingrad, urban fighting during the Tet offensive, the Russians in Berlin, Falluja and other cities in Iraq, and possibly Israeli experience in Gaza and Lebanon. And so on. They are aware. They have to be based upon their own experience. Will they be influenced by that knowledge? Is this the only means available to eliminate Hamas? Will Israeli society, given the divisions that apparently include the military, be able to withstand this type of war?
A major shift is ongoing in Israel with the Religious (Zionist) component gaining much power. I'll suggest there are things going on restraining said invasion - which I'm poorly informed about but what seems obvious to be a huge mistake on it's face. Your insight, Hal, is appreciated - I for one respect your comments. thank you. (WrH)
Hello WrH thank you for your kind remarks. We need to have frank discussions about these issues because the consequences of even the correct decisions can be dire. The least of the available evils may be the best course.
It appears that there are many just itching for a fight. Many that are prepared for such. Multiple scores to be settled. Not good. Not good at all.
As someone wrote on Zerohedge, it's like 1914. Vast stresses have built up over the years that many believe can only be purged by armed conflict, whether it's the ME or Red v Blue in the US. There is madness in the air.
A major problem is that many making these decisions, at least in our leadership, have never been in the service and have no experience with war, contributing to seeming lack of sobriety that we see in these matters. If George W. Bush had been in the infantry in Vietnam perhaps his decisions would be quite different regarding the terror wars.
I was referring to other countries itching for a fight against us. Itching to settle scores. Being well prepared against their adversary. Which would be us, and
As for our dopey leadership and regime, I have zero confidence. If a decision needs to be made, they will make the wrong one.
Very true, DF. Everyone is sick of the US (and the Brits) with their crazy intrigues and military adventurism. However, there is plenty of war fever in our countries too. Just look at CitizenFreePress or the Daily Mail.
Madness indeed. Reckless. Emotion over rationality. Story of humanity I suppose. Part of the fallible human condition. And yes, I too have been dismayed by the selection of links over at CFP.
Right DFB. And being organized by Russia and China.