As usual, a Manichean approach is applied to the current flare-up in Gaza/Palestine, so of course this is turned into yet another battle between "good vs evil." And, as always, the US and its allies, in this case Israel, are the good guys, and the bad, evil, "human animals" are the Palestinians. This way of thinking is so backward, so frankly insipid, that it is hard to believe anyone still falls for it. Anyone with a functioning brain could have foreseen that, by turning Gaza into an open prison, one day the people living in Gaza would eventually be forced to rebel against their oppressors. Or are people just supposed to accept occupation and second class status forever? Unfortunately, to analyze the situation and understand the history and causes behind the Palestinian resistance is simply verboten, because it might lead to the wrong conclusion. Instead, and just like with all the other wars--Ukraine/ Vietnam/Libya/ Syria Afghanistan/Iraq, etc.-- a simplistic "good vs evil" story line is fed to the US population 24/7 by the mainstream media. It's all they know how to do. I just wonder---when this is all over, will Gaza be transformed from an open prison into an open mass grave?
The best of Human civilization is not over yet, Bill.
The Old Testament Jewish Religious Establishment now forming the Israeli government believes God gave all the land of Palestine to Jews exclusively, and Palestinians out, so yes, this can be the final solution before the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty!
I hope the World wakes up before it gets to that, but I have my doubts!
There have been hundreds of "Gods" Ray - all imaginary, and all problematic.
"Religion poisons everything" - Christopher Hitchens was right my friend Ray
Why is Israel's "God" real and all the others before him were not?
When Israelis explain why they dismiss ALL the other possible "Gods", only then will they understand why I dismiss theirs. Think about it my friend! Take care.
Dennis, the Bible mentions the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. Those are the gods most people and nations worship and go to WAR to get them. The writing is on the wall!
For those who don't know the record in Daniel 5, the king of Babylon, now called Iraq, put on a State Dinner for 1000 of the Elite of the kingdom praising the gods in the previous sentence.
From then to now, it's the economy, stupid! I'm not calling you stupid, but you know the saying.
Oct 9, 2023·edited Oct 9, 2023Liked by Bill Astore
The US and the West it dominates condemns Russia for targeting apartment buildings in WAR, but my eyes don't lie watching Israel is targeting and destroying huge apartment blocks in Gaza and the US/West is silent about that.
There is Democracy for Jews in the illegal settlements in occupied Palestine but an Israeli Military Dictatorship for Palestinians in Military Courts with no Civil rights for Palestinians.
having recently deracinated from 3 months as a volunteer teacher in 4 different palestinian refugee camps surrounding nablus in the israeli-occuppied west bank, i erumpently applaud and perfervidly agree w/ you, dennis merwood. the perpetually incarcerated and humiliated palestinians are more desperate than you can possibly wrap your brain around. after nearly 8 decades of their humiliations and imprisonment as sub-class citizens in their own homeland is a crime beyond endurance for anyone who cares about human rights and dignity.
Israel gets a taste of what it has been doing for years and shows its true colors: "human animals" which doesn't even make sense allowing for difficulties in translation, but does show the Israelis for the warmongers they've always been. And with even more help from Uncle Sam and the UK, they appear on track to get what they want: the elimination of every Palestinian above ground. And no, they haven't forgotten what the Nazis did. They've been playing that card for all it's worth since before I was born, and I'm pushing 70.
What you don't accept Dennis, is since I came alive to God that February 1, 1975, I have seen many evidences you haven't seen, and that's why I still have the Faith 48 years later.
The Spirit of God bless you with the gift of Faith! Then you would have less stress no matter what happens.
But many people claim they have seen evidence of a "God".
But nobody has ever proved it. All cases are easily debunked.
Professor Richard Dawkins wrote a whole book debunking ALL the types of proof.
Though much of Dawkins’s oeuvre generated debate for asserting the supremacy of science over religion in explaining the world, nothing matched the response to the book "The God Delusion" (2006). The book points out the logical fallacies in religious belief and concludes that the laws of probability preclude the existence of an omnipotent creator. It has sold 3.3-million copies worldwide since it was published. Not counting the number of Arabic copies that Dawkins believes to have been downloaded illegally.
When you proven God exists Ray, or even the Spirit of God, write your paper, have it peer reviewed, get it published - and go collect your Noble Prize. Nobody has ever done so.
And of course, even if the Spirit of God blessed me with the "gift" of Faith - that still would leave me believing in things without evidence. Which I cannot do.
That people with faith lead less stressful lives is unproven.
Are religiously active people better off than those who are religiously inactive or those with no religious affiliation? The short answer is that there is some evidence that religious participation may make a small difference in some – but not all – areas, according to a new Pew Research Center report that looks at survey data from the United States and more than two dozen other countries.
When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible "Gods", only then will you understand why I dismiss yours. Think about it my friend! Take care.
I drove to metro NYC today. I do not use google maps for traffic, I grew in the metro, and listen to traffic/news radio.
The medieval warrior type pronouncements from Israeli officials was repeated every half hour. The slant against Palestine was repeated.
The alleged Iranian part was also pushed, as if the better target was Tehran not Gaza city.
In 1973 I was in a C141 unit and all our cargo plane were ferrying the latest smart weapons to Israel to turn the tide. We later enjoyed the gas lines.
Someday the USA may take a moral stance, not in my lifetime, it seems.
behemoth buckets of gratitude to you, CASSIEKNOWS, PENELOPE, and FIREMAN, for deigning to read, absorb, and respond w/ anacrustic erumpency to my 'cri de coeur' on behalf of the besieged, beleaguered, and invidiously demonized palestinians. one of my PROJECT HOPE NABLUS assignments was to volunteer in a refugee camp that housed the only autism centre for the entire purlieu of camps surrounding nablus in the west bank. our autistic students, which included adults, relied on highly regimented and entrenched routines to remain even half-functional. when, after 2 months w/ them, the israeli military bombed and blasted into rubble massive ares of the jenin refugee camp, the lethiferous israeli 'IN'security forces peremptorily surrounded and closed down several other of our surrounding refugee camps... so hermetically and draconianly sealed off, that our autistic students were unable to be bussed to our autism centre. w/ their prevenient routine so precipitately distorted in their already confused minds, the autism manifestations in their behavioural parametres were beyond devastating for them.
Israel has acted like Nazis for 60 years. Gaza is a concentration camp. If Jews in Nazi concentration camps busted out and fought their oppressors, would people say they take no sides?
I am ALWAYS on the side of the oppressed. Palestinians are the oppressed and Israelis are the oppressors. Palestinians have tried non-violence and the result is few in the West care about the open air concentration camp of Gaza.
I support Hamas and hope nearby states do too. This could be a major turning point in the disgusting book of Israeli slaughter of Arabs.
Always ask yourself, "who is the oppressed, and who is the oppressor?"
please be aware, sir astore, of the inveterate duplicity practised for decades by the zionist israelis via hanging an oeillade at anthony james hall's article:
WorldBEYONDWar.org asks: WHO BENEFITS FROM THE NEW ESCALATION IN PALESTINE, THE ONGOING QUAGMIRE IN UKRAINE, THE VIOLENCE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH, AND KASHMIR, AND SO MANY OTHER PLACES?
And then provides the answer: THE MERCHANTS OF DEATH! (U.S. WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS WHO KNOWINGLY PRODUCE AND SELL PRODUCTS THAT ATTACK AND KILL NOT ONLY COMBATANTS BUT NON-COMBATANTS AS WELL.)
But they will be put on trial online beginning November 12th, and you are invited.
Please join us Sunday, November 12th, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. (EST) for the livestreamed Opening Session of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal, holding U.S. Weapons Manufacturers accountable for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.
World BEYOND War will be hosting this Opening Session of the People's Tribunal.
Once the Opening Session concludes, the entire Tribunal will be streamed via video links over consecutive weeks examining War Crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Gaza, and Yemen.
The role of Lobbying, Think Tanks, the "Revolving Door," and other means by which these predatory capitalists enrich themselves through war will be explored.
Testifying will be Cornel West, Richard Falk, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Norman Solomon, John Pilger, Jeremy Kuzmarov, Christian Sorensen, WILLIAM ASTORE, Aisha Jumaan, Matt Aikens, Marie Dennis, Dr. Kelly Denton-Borhaug, and numerous others.
The Tribunal Judges will deliberate on the evidence presented and render a verdict at the conclusion of all testimony.
It's free and open to the public and not to be missed.
Deescalation is not possible at this point unfortunately imho due to the taking of Hostages. There is no honor in that. I abhor violence to set that straight right off, and I am not Political. I would rather see a Planet w/o Borders at all... A very sad situation for all involved. Excruciating to watch because I have Friends who support both the Palestinians as well as the Nation of Israel.
Dehumanization is part of it, but it's not always necessary. Soldiers can respect their enemies and still kill them. It comes down to training, obedience, and "kill or be killed."
Dehumanization just makes matters worse; it leads to greater atrocities. More/worse war crimes.
Having been first an infantryman and then an assault helicopter door gunner in Vietnam in 1966-68, i can totally and completely confirm what You write, Bill.
There is also the added factor of Belief: The Belief by that soldier that what he or she is fighting, killing/maiming, and possibly getting killed/maimed for is worth it because it is Right, True, and Necessary.
“The reason we call it faith is because it’s not knowledge” – Christopher Hitchens
EDIT: you know that many poor drafted American kids in Vietnam did not believe the war was Right, True, and Necessary, and worth getting killed/maimed for.
They ran away to Canada, or went to Nam and went out on patrol hiding in the jungle smoking dope. Or fragged their officers. Correct?
Nobody attacked the US, or oppressed their population and stole their human rights like the Israelis have done two the Palestinian's.
What Hamas believes in is Right, True, and Necessary and worth getting killed/maimed for. What Americans were made to believe about the Vietnam war was bovine excrement.
Do we agree? No lectures please my friend. I'm about had it up to here with condescending Yanks today. Sick Barstad's.
Hamas believes that being oppressed by others, humiliated, imprisoned in a giant open-air prison, and deprived of their human rights is not right.
Two Israeli human rights NGOs, Yesh Din (July 2020), and B'Tselem (January 2021) have issued separate reports agreeing with that. In the latter's words, "the bar for labeling the Israeli regime as apartheid has been met."
Jeff, you also believe, not on faith but based on evidence and your sense of human decency, that oppressing others and depriving them of their human rights is not right. No "Gods" need to tell us that.
EDIT: in New Zealand's largest online newspaper today - full of the dog whistle words to incite hatred of the Palestinians:
Thank you for this. I'm unable to understand why so many journalists and policy-makers and so on feel the need to jump immediately into an analysis and subsequent actions based on the geopolitical. To me, all that matters now and for some near (I hope) future is that the violence stops. Hamas needs to be stopped at this point, period. Turning Gaza into a mass graveyard won't actually do anything useful or 'good.' The violence needs to be stopped.
With War in general one thing that strikes me is the idea that Americans and other Nations, or Peoples utterly fail to ever learn anything from their pasts. Our pasts show that time and again thinking our Hi Tech. Mil. can beat a lesser loser type Third World Country, and we always seem to fail. If we go into any Wars we must go all in, or just bug out completely. The Middle East we should offer peaceful solutions and Peace mediators, but since there is Oil in the M.E. I doubt if that will happen. Marines, Air Men, etc. Civi's. children, toddlers, i.o.w. Collateral damage will continue to die because we fail time and time again to learn and respect our History...! Sad commentary.
"Let's just bug out and call it even, OK?" Pvt Hudson in "Aliens"
"Nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Ripley in "Aliens"
The typical U.S. response (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan) is to wage unnecessary wars for decades until we grow tired or bored or ready to fight somewhere else for greater profit.
As usual, a Manichean approach is applied to the current flare-up in Gaza/Palestine, so of course this is turned into yet another battle between "good vs evil." And, as always, the US and its allies, in this case Israel, are the good guys, and the bad, evil, "human animals" are the Palestinians. This way of thinking is so backward, so frankly insipid, that it is hard to believe anyone still falls for it. Anyone with a functioning brain could have foreseen that, by turning Gaza into an open prison, one day the people living in Gaza would eventually be forced to rebel against their oppressors. Or are people just supposed to accept occupation and second class status forever? Unfortunately, to analyze the situation and understand the history and causes behind the Palestinian resistance is simply verboten, because it might lead to the wrong conclusion. Instead, and just like with all the other wars--Ukraine/ Vietnam/Libya/ Syria Afghanistan/Iraq, etc.-- a simplistic "good vs evil" story line is fed to the US population 24/7 by the mainstream media. It's all they know how to do. I just wonder---when this is all over, will Gaza be transformed from an open prison into an open mass grave?
WAIT! There is much MONEY to be made here!
After all, our CHIEF EXPORT is DEATH; isn't it?
This has the potential to lead this World to Armageddon, the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty
Revelation 16:13-16
Human civilization was nice while it lasted, Ray.
As long as we leave out that Anthropocene extinction part, Bill.
The best of Human civilization is not over yet, Bill.
The Old Testament Jewish Religious Establishment now forming the Israeli government believes God gave all the land of Palestine to Jews exclusively, and Palestinians out, so yes, this can be the final solution before the Battle of the Great Day of God Almighty!
I hope the World wakes up before it gets to that, but I have my doubts!
There have been hundreds of "Gods" Ray - all imaginary, and all problematic.
"Religion poisons everything" - Christopher Hitchens was right my friend Ray
Why is Israel's "God" real and all the others before him were not?
When Israelis explain why they dismiss ALL the other possible "Gods", only then will they understand why I dismiss theirs. Think about it my friend! Take care.
Dennis, the Bible mentions the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. Those are the gods most people and nations worship and go to WAR to get them. The writing is on the wall!
For those who don't know the record in Daniel 5, the king of Babylon, now called Iraq, put on a State Dinner for 1000 of the Elite of the kingdom praising the gods in the previous sentence.
From then to now, it's the economy, stupid! I'm not calling you stupid, but you know the saying.
Sorry Ray, I have faith there are ferries in the bottom of my garden.
With as much evidence of them as folk have on faith that ANY "Gods" existence.
I also believe the Bible is a work of fiction written by ancient unknown authors.
Taking anything in it as true - is at your peril.
Without religion there would be peace in the Middle East.
Religion poisons everything - literally.
Sorry. Not calling you stupid either.
The US and the West it dominates condemns Russia for targeting apartment buildings in WAR, but my eyes don't lie watching Israel is targeting and destroying huge apartment blocks in Gaza and the US/West is silent about that.
There is Democracy for Jews in the illegal settlements in occupied Palestine but an Israeli Military Dictatorship for Palestinians in Military Courts with no Civil rights for Palestinians.
That is not Democracy!
Sledge-hammer conclusion, Bill. And inarguable, imo.
Also agree about the insult to non-human animals---they don't wage war. My thought? They're much too smart for that!
Exactly. I too support neither Israel nor Hamas, but I do support all the peaceworkers.
How absolutely desperate are those people when they know that the vengeance unleashed against Gaza will be unimaginable in its horror and scale?
They are desperately desperate Stephen.
It's this - or be imprisoned by their oppressors forever!
Their human rights stolen forever!
Is that worth living for? Not for me.
having recently deracinated from 3 months as a volunteer teacher in 4 different palestinian refugee camps surrounding nablus in the israeli-occuppied west bank, i erumpently applaud and perfervidly agree w/ you, dennis merwood. the perpetually incarcerated and humiliated palestinians are more desperate than you can possibly wrap your brain around. after nearly 8 decades of their humiliations and imprisonment as sub-class citizens in their own homeland is a crime beyond endurance for anyone who cares about human rights and dignity.
Israel gets a taste of what it has been doing for years and shows its true colors: "human animals" which doesn't even make sense allowing for difficulties in translation, but does show the Israelis for the warmongers they've always been. And with even more help from Uncle Sam and the UK, they appear on track to get what they want: the elimination of every Palestinian above ground. And no, they haven't forgotten what the Nazis did. They've been playing that card for all it's worth since before I was born, and I'm pushing 70.
That's the same kind of language NAZIS used to characterize Jews.
The Israeli's are doing to the Palestinian's what the Nazi's did to them Ray.
That the West is supporting this is unconscionable.
FREE PALESTINE
We're agreed on that, Dennis! And I have Faith in the God of Abraham, God's friend on Earth before Jews, Christians and Muslims existed.
Take care Ray my friend.
But I still say having faith is believing things without evidence.
One can belief in ANYTHING based on faith. Even ferries and unicorn's.
I am finding these very stressful times.
Take care.
What you don't accept Dennis, is since I came alive to God that February 1, 1975, I have seen many evidences you haven't seen, and that's why I still have the Faith 48 years later.
The Spirit of God bless you with the gift of Faith! Then you would have less stress no matter what happens.
Peace!
Ray, I won't challenge you on that.
But many people claim they have seen evidence of a "God".
But nobody has ever proved it. All cases are easily debunked.
Professor Richard Dawkins wrote a whole book debunking ALL the types of proof.
Though much of Dawkins’s oeuvre generated debate for asserting the supremacy of science over religion in explaining the world, nothing matched the response to the book "The God Delusion" (2006). The book points out the logical fallacies in religious belief and concludes that the laws of probability preclude the existence of an omnipotent creator. It has sold 3.3-million copies worldwide since it was published. Not counting the number of Arabic copies that Dawkins believes to have been downloaded illegally.
When you proven God exists Ray, or even the Spirit of God, write your paper, have it peer reviewed, get it published - and go collect your Noble Prize. Nobody has ever done so.
And of course, even if the Spirit of God blessed me with the "gift" of Faith - that still would leave me believing in things without evidence. Which I cannot do.
That people with faith lead less stressful lives is unproven.
Are religiously active people better off than those who are religiously inactive or those with no religious affiliation? The short answer is that there is some evidence that religious participation may make a small difference in some – but not all – areas, according to a new Pew Research Center report that looks at survey data from the United States and more than two dozen other countries.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/31/are-religious-people-happier-healthier-our-new-global-study-explores-this-question/
When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible "Gods", only then will you understand why I dismiss yours. Think about it my friend! Take care.
I drove to metro NYC today. I do not use google maps for traffic, I grew in the metro, and listen to traffic/news radio.
The medieval warrior type pronouncements from Israeli officials was repeated every half hour. The slant against Palestine was repeated.
The alleged Iranian part was also pushed, as if the better target was Tehran not Gaza city.
In 1973 I was in a C141 unit and all our cargo plane were ferrying the latest smart weapons to Israel to turn the tide. We later enjoyed the gas lines.
Someday the USA may take a moral stance, not in my lifetime, it seems.
again, a repetend of tnx, fireman.
Thankyou so much my friend Greetings from Rhode Island, USA
behemoth buckets of gratitude to you, CASSIEKNOWS, PENELOPE, and FIREMAN, for deigning to read, absorb, and respond w/ anacrustic erumpency to my 'cri de coeur' on behalf of the besieged, beleaguered, and invidiously demonized palestinians. one of my PROJECT HOPE NABLUS assignments was to volunteer in a refugee camp that housed the only autism centre for the entire purlieu of camps surrounding nablus in the west bank. our autistic students, which included adults, relied on highly regimented and entrenched routines to remain even half-functional. when, after 2 months w/ them, the israeli military bombed and blasted into rubble massive ares of the jenin refugee camp, the lethiferous israeli 'IN'security forces peremptorily surrounded and closed down several other of our surrounding refugee camps... so hermetically and draconianly sealed off, that our autistic students were unable to be bussed to our autism centre. w/ their prevenient routine so precipitately distorted in their already confused minds, the autism manifestations in their behavioural parametres were beyond devastating for them.
I support Hamas.
Israel has acted like Nazis for 60 years. Gaza is a concentration camp. If Jews in Nazi concentration camps busted out and fought their oppressors, would people say they take no sides?
I am ALWAYS on the side of the oppressed. Palestinians are the oppressed and Israelis are the oppressors. Palestinians have tried non-violence and the result is few in the West care about the open air concentration camp of Gaza.
I support Hamas and hope nearby states do too. This could be a major turning point in the disgusting book of Israeli slaughter of Arabs.
Always ask yourself, "who is the oppressed, and who is the oppressor?"
please be aware, sir astore, of the inveterate duplicity practised for decades by the zionist israelis via hanging an oeillade at anthony james hall's article:
https://anthonyjhall.substack.com/p/the-gaza-prison-break-and-the-prospect?
utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1274843&post_id=137785105&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=plbzb&utm_medium=email
WorldBEYONDWar.org asks: WHO BENEFITS FROM THE NEW ESCALATION IN PALESTINE, THE ONGOING QUAGMIRE IN UKRAINE, THE VIOLENCE IN NAGORNO KARABAKH, AND KASHMIR, AND SO MANY OTHER PLACES?
And then provides the answer: THE MERCHANTS OF DEATH! (U.S. WEAPONS MANUFACTURERS WHO KNOWINGLY PRODUCE AND SELL PRODUCTS THAT ATTACK AND KILL NOT ONLY COMBATANTS BUT NON-COMBATANTS AS WELL.)
But they will be put on trial online beginning November 12th, and you are invited.
Please join us Sunday, November 12th, 2023 at 8:00 p.m. (EST) for the livestreamed Opening Session of the Merchants of Death War Crimes Tribunal, holding U.S. Weapons Manufacturers accountable for War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity.
World BEYOND War will be hosting this Opening Session of the People's Tribunal.
Once the Opening Session concludes, the entire Tribunal will be streamed via video links over consecutive weeks examining War Crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, Gaza, and Yemen.
The role of Lobbying, Think Tanks, the "Revolving Door," and other means by which these predatory capitalists enrich themselves through war will be explored.
Testifying will be Cornel West, Richard Falk, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Norman Solomon, John Pilger, Jeremy Kuzmarov, Christian Sorensen, WILLIAM ASTORE, Aisha Jumaan, Matt Aikens, Marie Dennis, Dr. Kelly Denton-Borhaug, and numerous others.
The Tribunal Judges will deliberate on the evidence presented and render a verdict at the conclusion of all testimony.
It's free and open to the public and not to be missed.
You may register here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/us-weapons-makers-to-be-tried-by-war-crimes-tribunal-beginning-november-12-2023
[Note that Bill will be testifying.]
Deescalation is not possible at this point unfortunately imho due to the taking of Hostages. There is no honor in that. I abhor violence to set that straight right off, and I am not Political. I would rather see a Planet w/o Borders at all... A very sad situation for all involved. Excruciating to watch because I have Friends who support both the Palestinians as well as the Nation of Israel.
"Hostages" is a matter of semantics. Israel is holding many Palestinians hostage indefinitely without trial, including women and children.
No... Unequivocally!
I have not been in the military, but I suspect that dehumanization is about the only way you can get people to do to each other what war demands.
Dehumanization is part of it, but it's not always necessary. Soldiers can respect their enemies and still kill them. It comes down to training, obedience, and "kill or be killed."
Dehumanization just makes matters worse; it leads to greater atrocities. More/worse war crimes.
Having been first an infantryman and then an assault helicopter door gunner in Vietnam in 1966-68, i can totally and completely confirm what You write, Bill.
There is also the added factor of Belief: The Belief by that soldier that what he or she is fighting, killing/maiming, and possibly getting killed/maimed for is worth it because it is Right, True, and Necessary.
Believe without evidence is faith Jeff.
“The reason we call it faith is because it’s not knowledge” – Christopher Hitchens
EDIT: you know that many poor drafted American kids in Vietnam did not believe the war was Right, True, and Necessary, and worth getting killed/maimed for.
They ran away to Canada, or went to Nam and went out on patrol hiding in the jungle smoking dope. Or fragged their officers. Correct?
Nobody attacked the US, or oppressed their population and stole their human rights like the Israelis have done two the Palestinian's.
What Hamas believes in is Right, True, and Necessary and worth getting killed/maimed for. What Americans were made to believe about the Vietnam war was bovine excrement.
Do we agree? No lectures please my friend. I'm about had it up to here with condescending Yanks today. Sick Barstad's.
So "what Hamas believes is Right, True, and Necessary," is it? On what basis do You make that statement of faith?
Let me know when You're over being "sick of condescending Yanks," Dennis, and we'll continue the conversation.
Hamas believes that being oppressed by others, humiliated, imprisoned in a giant open-air prison, and deprived of their human rights is not right.
Two Israeli human rights NGOs, Yesh Din (July 2020), and B'Tselem (January 2021) have issued separate reports agreeing with that. In the latter's words, "the bar for labeling the Israeli regime as apartheid has been met."
Jeff, you also believe, not on faith but based on evidence and your sense of human decency, that oppressing others and depriving them of their human rights is not right. No "Gods" need to tell us that.
EDIT: in New Zealand's largest online newspaper today - full of the dog whistle words to incite hatred of the Palestinians:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/middle-east/300986130/they-told-friends-in-sydney-they-were-safe-then-this-entire-family-was-massacred
NOT ONE STORY OF THE IRAEL IDF MASSACRING PALESTINIANS.
Thank you for this. I'm unable to understand why so many journalists and policy-makers and so on feel the need to jump immediately into an analysis and subsequent actions based on the geopolitical. To me, all that matters now and for some near (I hope) future is that the violence stops. Hamas needs to be stopped at this point, period. Turning Gaza into a mass graveyard won't actually do anything useful or 'good.' The violence needs to be stopped.
With War in general one thing that strikes me is the idea that Americans and other Nations, or Peoples utterly fail to ever learn anything from their pasts. Our pasts show that time and again thinking our Hi Tech. Mil. can beat a lesser loser type Third World Country, and we always seem to fail. If we go into any Wars we must go all in, or just bug out completely. The Middle East we should offer peaceful solutions and Peace mediators, but since there is Oil in the M.E. I doubt if that will happen. Marines, Air Men, etc. Civi's. children, toddlers, i.o.w. Collateral damage will continue to die because we fail time and time again to learn and respect our History...! Sad commentary.
"Let's just bug out and call it even, OK?" Pvt Hudson in "Aliens"
"Nuke the entire site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure." Ripley in "Aliens"
The typical U.S. response (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan) is to wage unnecessary wars for decades until we grow tired or bored or ready to fight somewhere else for greater profit.
I much prefer the Term "Artificial Person" Bishop, Aliens!!! And.., that is why we fail...
Such a memorable movie with so many great lines ...