Netanyahu tells Israel ‘We are at war’ after Hamas launches an unprecedented attack, killing at leas

You cannot be serious.

To be clear: I was not opposed to Afghanistan, even the invasion itself. So I’m not going to be a hypocrite here. I was in favor of our Afghanistan actions in response to 9/11. But in hindsight it obviously didn’t “work”. At best the invasion provided an ongoing distraction to the terrorists. The minute we left the Taliban were always going to fill that vacuum. We routed Al-Queda but never ousted the Taliban, didn’t actually get the main target for a decade (and he was hiding in relative comfort in a Pakistani suburb when that happened). Another poster pointed out the obvious in reply, the Taliban is actually back in charge today! Over 20 years later. Learn from mistakes.

At least you seem to understand the Iraq invasion was epic folly. It was so obvious to me as W was giving the nation the hard sell. My disgust with that is what literally caused me to change parties. Iraq invasion caused a whole bunch of dominoes to fall in the region, opening the way for ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Afghanistan might have been more sustainable without that distraction. 2 wars? 2 proxy puppet governments? No chance. All based on lies about WMD and probably for politics. Heads should have rolled for that treachery (literally).

What should we do with Iran? The best bet is to support a revolution from within. If there is an uprising, and we have seen plenty of protests, actively support it. These things only work if the people rise up. If we bomb their infrastructure and make the people miserable, all it does is make fertile ground to recruit more martyrs. Iran was historically a moderate nation so there is hope to get them back on that path if you oust the radical theocratic government. I’ll say Iran cannot be allowed to obtain nukes, so at this stage I would support Israeli targeted attacks against Iran suspected nuke sites, but then you really do have the prospect of WW3.

Gaza is a tougher nut to crack. Israel would have to be willing to take heavy, heavy losses to route out Hamas. Maybe they will, but the U.S. should not be involved in a slaughter of civilians on either side.

 

I pick the side of civilians.

 

Military is a nobel profession of potential sacrifice but we havent really fought a defensive war since my Grandfather sailed in the Pacific Ocean. Arguably, we really owe our safety to Oppenheimer and crew.

 

That’s not a side. You are sitting this thread out.

 

Pretty sad that someone taking the side of humanity is said to be sitting this one out. You don't have to pick one of the barbarians.

 

Nah. We unconditionally support Israel and their right to exist and defend itself. We also support the Palestinian people who are victims of Hamas as well.

 

sounds like more SOP for you. Not sure where to begin when you draw a moral equivalency to people who behead babies and toddlers. And for the record I have no idea if you are soft or not, but what abundantly clear is you have never experienced real violence. And that’s ok. You don’t know what you don’t know. Carry on

 

Critical race theorists love to slurp that post-colonial Israel hate. No surprise here at all.

 

You don’t but then again, if you’re not taking a stance…you’re not in the game. That’s all I’m saying.

 

...and in the wake of what happened on Saturday, apparently he means any decent person should support the indiscriminate killing of 1,000 civilians, rape and corporal taking of hundreds of women and children--as long as they're Jewish--bc...

...Palestinians were justified in "striking back" (at no particularly identifiable offense)???

...but the Jews are not justified in striking back for an easily identified atrocity...bc they're Jews.

Any *decent* person could see that.

 

Interesting

 

Uhh… Gaza have been under complete blockade by Israel and Egypt for almost 2 decades. By definition that means they are not free to trade with “anyone else”. They quite literally have no economy, no escape, and no hope.

It’s also a population where like 50% are 19 years or younger. So… large population of young males who’ve known nothing but hell and probably been brainwashed by Islamic radicals behind those walls. This was not only predictable, it was inevitable. I recall a few years ago the UN presumed Gaza would be “unlivable” by 2020. Just off by a few years…

 

What 'game' are you talking about

 

Is that what Biden is doing? "Taking the side of humanity....by sitting this one out"?

Calling for a cease fire after terrorists took a historically brutal pot shot?

Yay humanity!

 

Um, the debate.

 

I know enough to know that "real violence" is always a product of people who think like you, whether you call them savage terrorists or defenders of civilization, they both agree with your thinking on this matter. Two sides of the same coin.

 

Israel had been opening up options for Gaza and the economy had been improving in Gaza. They made the mistake that they thought a more moderate Hamas would emerge and this is what it got them. set up ways for women and children and elderly to leave Gaza and to temp internment camps and then go in and kill everyone who refused to leave. Hamas cannot continue to exist in any form or this will just happen again.

 

Kill everyone who refuses to leave their own land? Sounds like a crime.

 

ground penetrating radar or seismic tests similar to what they use to look for oil should be able to detect any tunnels along the border that could then be focused on for destruction. and those tunnels have to daylight somewhere so any structures within tunneling distance of the border should undergo extensive and thorough searches

 

Yeah not sure I’m buying that.