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Ray-SoCa's avatar

Orders or bluff?

I’ve noticed a tendency for people in that region to exaggerate and bluster in negotiations. Some would even call the exaggerations lies.

Trumps comment about stopping the killing I thought reasonable. His other comments are aimed at fundraising, due to Jewish college big money donors feeling betrayed by what they see as the rampant anti semitism on campuses.

Victory for Bibi is open to interpretation. I read someplace (nypost?) that with 50% of Hamas claimed killed Israel is near the goal required to claim victory.

I see zero interest by the uk, France, and the us to be involved in a war with Iran, besides helping defend Israel.

I note the double standard, where Israel can attack Iran with assassinations, but Iran is not supposed to attack back.

Israel has an incentive to stop the war, it’s a huge economic cost growing daily. But may be a minority pushing greater Israel has enough power to keep the war going.

Hamas if they cared about its population should have an incentive, but my gut feeling is only with something they can claim victory such as mass prisoner releases. They feel they have huge leverage with the hostages. But may be Israel is being super effective in destroying the top echelons of Hamas and there is fear in the leadership they are next, which gives them an incentive to negotiate.

Iran , Houthis, and Yemen I see no incentive to stop the war.

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Tamsin's avatar

"A people without a land for a land without a people."

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FH's avatar

You are so brilliant. Would like to hear what you think about the book Dept of Just Us by Gregory Stenstrom about the Council that is farming the human population . And what will happen to them.

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Epigone1971's avatar

Seeing this after reading a few recent pieces from Alastair Crooke is jarring. Insane regime headed by Netanyahu really driving this bus off a clifff.... https://www.eurasiareview.com/14082024-an-intricate-fabric-of-bad-actors-working-hand-in-hand-so-is-war-inevitable-oped/

"Netanyahu went to Washington to lay out the case for all-out war on Iran - a moral war of civilisation versus the Barbarians, he said. He was applauded for his stance. He returned to Israel and immediately provoked Hizbullah, Iran and Hamas in a way that dishonoured and humiliated both - knowing well that it would draw a riposte that would most likely lead to wider war.

Clearly Netanyahu, backed by a plurality of Israelis, wants an Armageddon (with full U.S. support, of course). He has the U.S., he thinks, exactly where he wants it. Netanyahu has only to escalate in one way or another - and Washington, he calculates (rightly or wrongly), will be compelled to follow."

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Tamsin's avatar

From the essay,

"Plainly put, the import of this 'behavioural-engineering enterprise (it no longer having much to do with the truth, no longer having much to do with your right to desire what you wish – or not desire what you don’t wish)' – is, as Kirn says: 'everyone is in on the game'. 'The corporate and state interests don’t believe you are wanting the right things—you might want Donald Trump— or, that you aren’t wanting the things you should want more' (such as seeing Putin removed)."

Everyone is in on the game. Except us, the citizens.

As Mr. Wauck put it in the title of his post from March 2022, "Do We Get to Debate World War?".

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Ray-SoCa's avatar

Interesting essay.

The standing ovations in Congress shows the power of AIPAC.

Biden’s Administration has zero interest in a war with Iran before the election in November. If the U.S. can’t even handle the Houthis, what chance do they have with Iran? The Democrats are desperate to not upset their voters even more over the mess in the Middle East.

And note the jailing in uk of a guy for blasphemy over Allah? 18 months in jail?

https://www.frontpagemag.com/british-man-jailed-for-blaspheming-allah/

3000 people in the uk have been jailed for internet postings.

The essay's comments on censorship and how Obama’s laid the foundation for this. On target. “whole of society” is terrifying.

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Kieran Telo's avatar

In the same article there is an association made between two gents with Asian-sounding names who were 'allegedly' part of a convoy that drove through parts of London shouting anti-semitic slogans. Specifically Golders Green. This was a transparent hasbara op, I saw the well-planned camera angles at the time. Several small cheap cars with sunroofs contained actors playing the role of Palestinian "agitators", waving flags and shouting utterly over-the-top crap about killing and rape. Israelis and their sympathisers can barely string together a sentence without mentioning one or both of these, it gives them away. Using this psyop to contrast the threatening behaviour of the white guy, who derided Allah, but also used threatening language and called the cops c***s - which they are - is crude stuff. Whether the latter sentence was justified I cannot say, very probably not, but to compare and contrast with the Golders Green agents provocateurs, to whom no definitive link could be found, is obvious Islamophobic dreck.

The non-profit behind this so-called news story is as follows. They look like a cut-out to me: https://www.horowitzfreedomcenter.org/about/

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Epigone1971's avatar

also: https://www.lifesitenews.com/analysis/netanyahus-deliberate-provocations-are-escalating-the-potential-for-global-nuclear-war/

"Why would the United States pursue a massive war at Israel’s behest, in a time of strategic weakness and economic crisis? Its political culture is captive to that of Israel, as Colonel Douglas Macgregor and others such as Thomas Friedman and Max Blumenthal have noted for many years. What is the political culture of Israel? It is, according to this report, “insane.” "

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Ray-SoCa's avatar

Bibi wants a wider war where Iran openly directly attacks first, making Israel the victim, dragging the U.S. into a wider war, or giving Israel justification to use nukes.

Iran obviously sees this, and there is a reason Iran has dominated its region for over a thousand years. Iran is careful and strategic with its decisions. Both Russia and Iran have a history of chess.

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aDoozy's avatar

Thanks much for the link to Frank Wright's excellent analysis, Epigone. I have bookmarked his page of articles, and will check him out on Substack next.

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Mark Wauck's avatar

American politics. What a degrading spectacle.

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Classic Rider's avatar

Had lunch with a friend I only see every 6 months or so. The first thing he said was that given all that is going on, his faith in the decency of our fellow man has been destroyed. Besides agreeing with him and our ensuing conversation, I sent him a link to this blog so he could feel good about his conclusion. :0)

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Mark Wauck's avatar

It's hard to be optimistic.

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Classic Rider's avatar

But, I have heritage back to the American Revolution. On the side of the good guys. And think back to that original Star Trek episode about the yans vs the coms? May not have that correct, but the readers of the Constitution overcame. Do not quail in this time of doubt. Somehow, someway, we will kick their ass. Sorry, did not mean to bring Obama into this.

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Marie's avatar

I never realized until FOX fired Tucker that he had relocated to Maine and built a studio there. It's turned out to be a great fit for him. I think his last year or two on FOX were done remotely there. Tucker always admits his own shortcoming and how he's overcome them, so he is very approachable and his interviewees are great. Especially Rep. Massie.

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dissonant1's avatar

Really enjoying the Tucker/Smith interview! Thanks!

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Brother Ass's avatar

Dave Smith and Tucker Carlson. Great synergy. Their past convos are well worth watching as well.

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Mark Wauck's avatar

Just started listening. Fun. But, they never saw Kama Sutra coming? You read it here first.

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Mark Wauck's avatar

Loved the Tucker line "100% Barr lied"

Not so crazy about all the non-judgmentalism, despite the good stuff on "weird."

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Mark Wauck's avatar

All I was saying was that I said there was no alternative to KS.

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hope's avatar

The female lib across the street put up her Harris/Waltz 2024 sign yesterday. Inside her front window. Getting a jump on the rest of them.

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