Israel launches ground offensive into southern Lebanon
Israel launches ground offensive into southern Lebanon
The Israeli military has launched a ground offensive into several Lebanese villages near the border.
You're viewing a single thread.
What the fuck you doing, Israel?
These kinda of things are why the US supports Israel. It helps destabilize the neighbors that don't fall in line with US interests. The US fears a sovereign Middle East where they get to choose what to do with their own countries and resources, not just for the usual Imperialist reasons, but because of the importance of the petrodollar system.
Underrated analysis
That's too 5-d chess for "the US" to pull off. I find it more plausible that the US supports Israel because Israel has a lot of powerful supporters in the US who manipulate public opinion and government policy.
It's not 5-d chess, it's simple politics of weakening potential rivals. If you look at history literally the same thing was done even by ancient hegemonies, it has even popular Latin name - "Divide et impera". USA is global hegemon and acts globally.
I grew up in the evangelical movement. I heard over and over and over again (some variation of this) when I was a kid, “The nation that refuses to aid Israel will fall! All of those who turn their backs on the Jews will burn when god returns.”
Those people are deadly serious too. It wouldn’t matter what Israel does.
Whatever the fuck they want. Both American parties are pro-genocide, and their voters are either too stupid or too scared to demand otherwise. Its relevant because Israel could be doing absolutely none of this without US backing. US voters had (and somewhat still have) an opportunity to demand from their candidates but as I said, either too stupid or too scared to demand it.
Now Israel has carte blanc.
Support for Israel is "off the table" in American politics. It's something that won't even be offered to voters as a choice. I remember when globalization was like this. Between Ross Perot and Donald Trump you had zero candidates on either side who were anti-globalization.
It’s so shameful what greed and broken electoral finance laws in the U.S. have done to the country. Right now, an investment of a few million by a PAC can turn into billions of dollars from the government, via direct aid, passing laws, or simply looking the other way if a company isn’t being too obviously evil.
The primaries this year were highly telling in that regard - politicians were being nakedly bought in plain sight, but, again, because “you don’t fuck with the money” it’s not a question in political circles of whether overhauling campaign finance should be undertaken.
Yeah. The silver lining is that, for specific issues, eventually the dam bursts and public opinion can overwhelm. But it can take a long time.
Ross Perot was the most successful third party candidate in American history since William Jennings Bryan. And yet, for nearly two decades both parties refused to adopt his policies on trade despite their overwhelming popularity and the obvious benefit electorally.
BTW The bigger issue with campaign finance is our radical right activist supreme court. We used to have a lot of laws limiting what money could do in politics but the court has dismantled most of them.
Things I agree with:
- fuck Israel
Things I disagree with:
- Israel has amassed such an arsenal, it can continue this shit on it's own for a good while. An arms embargo would still be appropriate though
- Voters are demanding a cease fire and have been for a long time. No one is scared. A lot of people have enough national problems to worry about, that they put first
- it's carte blanche, carte is feminine
Israel has amassed such an arsenal, it can continue this shit on it's own for a good while. An arms embargo would still be appropriate though
No way. First they can't use some of those weapons without US approval. They're made that way. Second, if they were running a more normal terror campaign (like shock and awe for example) that'd be correct, but they're not. They're carpet bombing Gaza and Lebanon using "precision" airstrikes. It's an incredibly wasteful method of genocide that only has the advantage of being able to say "but we're targeting terrorists". No way they can keep up this nonsense without unlimited US weapons. Third, Israel would be eaten alive by its neighbors without US diplomatic (or "diplomatic") support. Do you understand how much support any middle eastern leader would get by sayint "We'll go fight Israel to save our Palestinian brothers"? The only reason it's not happening and even Iran is leaving the job to its militias is because of the US carrot and stick.
Good point
exactly what the us allows them to do. I can only guess that kind old uncle sam has been feeding its billions in war change to israel for reasons more compelling than mere genocide (but that would suffice for some). a middle east ground "incursion" may be it.
because nothing could possibly go wrong with this. nothing at all.