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rawrtigerlily's avatar

I feel like Israel is giving us a front row seat to why you wouldn’t want someone entirely concerned with their own self interests as a head of state, particularly in an active conflict.

Here’s to hoping more people will catch some much needed insight that putting Trump back in office would be inviting the same dynamic to play out here.

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Juantastico's avatar

U.S. citizens will have to do more than just "push" to cut funding and weapons. What does that even mean? More hand-wringing? More strongly worded speeches? More protest matches? Voting? All of these have been tried over the last six months, without much effect. Innocent people in Gaza are still being killed. The food and medicine is still blocked.

Direct action has to be taken. For example, something in the order of a general work strike across the country. Income taxes fund the war machine. Every day you go to work, you are contributing to the genocide. People in Gaza have been starving for six months. And we (who say we care) can't go without pay for a week?

We are going to have to be willing to sacrifice something meaningful in order to have meaningful change.

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E Kai's avatar

Very much agree, except it's not necessarily a matter that folks don't care. Many literally cannot afford to miss a paycheck because their survival depends on it.

It's by capitalist design that work is tied to survival. Workers don't really have a choice but to continue consuming, producing, and feeding the war machine because losing your job/income in the so-called US can very much mean you'll lose your life.

The issue we're facing to stop the genocide is not lack of care but lack of organization. We need to build mutual aid and communication networks to ensure that workers can remain fed and housed when they stop working, especially because we'll need sustained action for the change we need, not just one-day strikes.

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John's avatar

The average American has no idea what's going on. Those who tread into this subject and take a skeptical view of Israel are immediately met with the "usual" accusations. For their own financial and social well-being, they then withdraw their interest in the topic. It's not worth the risk.

Having said that, compared to some other countries, there is hope in America, where there is still a right to speak freely. The UK, Ireland, Australia, Germany, France all have laws that make any analysis of this conflict full of legal landmines.

In Canada, the criminal code has specific provisions against talking about this group of people and criminal penalties for those who are perceived to be fomenting "hatred." The criminal statutes, which are supposed to be abstractions which can be applied to specific legal cases, instead carve out specific prohibitions and penalties for expressing opinions about Jews. Our Charter rights to free expression are haunted by laws intended, it would seem, to protect vulnerable groups. The actual effect is that everyone here talks about Israel, Netanyahu, Zionism, colonialism, nervously. Discussing or even noting examples of Jewish power and privilege are completely beyond the pale.

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Claire Phillips's avatar

As I just learned from a Palestinian activist, Anat International on Instagram, the Iron Dome is weak or absent in places where Arab Israelis live. These are the people who are most likely to feel an outside attack. She is so lovely and explains very simple, necessary truths clearly.

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Tim Sim's avatar

You’d think our government would learn from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq to never launch an offensive for imperialistic purposes; but sadly we’re going to see history possibly rhymed again with another forever war in the Middle East but with more dire consequences. This is the perfect example of insanity.

And for those who wonder why we are afraid of WW3 it is simple: inevitable escalation to nuclear apocalypse and the end of the human race.

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Shannon Heylmun's avatar

Our government and the people getting us into wars are not the same people. Representative government only works if the incentive is to do what the majority of your constituency wants because of a desire to remain in office. We have broken the system in two ways: The American people are not the constituency of our politicians, and they have no fear of what comes next if they're voted out. Both these problems are caused by the industries *around* politics (contracting, punditry, lobbying, consulting, etc.). The statistics about public opinion's impact to policy is radicalizing.

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An K.'s avatar

They have been quarreling for 2000 years.. let them be.. it would be really good if we could stay in our own back yard, take care of our own issues and stop interfering with the whole world.

Only a few profit from yet another war and it's not The People.

Especially on foriegn soil.

Just like Pakistan and Afghanistan.. they have to learn their own lessons on their own time.

It should be none of our business.

When will we learn?

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Ron Stockton's avatar

They have actually lived in co-existent peace during most of that 2000 years. Zionism ended peaceful co-existence.

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ItcheBrain's avatar

If people can't get on board for every moral & obvious reason, they should get on board with the fact that Americans worldwide & stateside are having their safety threatened by the US & Israel's actions in that region. I mean 9/11 was pretty creative, I would hate to see what other shit could be cooked up.

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Embree Walker's avatar

Itisn't Israel that got us here-thank Joe for 3 fronts and counting

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Robert  Taylor's avatar

Not really. Israel is outta control with Bibi at the helm and their genocide is not helping.

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Dr. Fake Smile's avatar

Embree, whatchoo mean? Israel definitely got us here!

The “three fronts” are chaos creations of a dying Repub dynasty. Examples of their/your desperation to regain control.

We’re gonna take you down👊🏼

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Embree Walker's avatar

This is what I nean-the voters in the US have historically voted for a wartime President. If Biden or his handlers can project him managing the situation, he will wun regardless of polls and rigging. He is already closing the gap

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