Lapid and Bennett have made contradictory statements at times. For now, Bennett is the PR. What a disappointment. Glad to see Lapid speak Emes!
I would say that the Japanese war certainly had a component of race to it, but they were more looking to subjugate all people and colonize all countries throughout Asia, not necessarily eliminate non-Japanese peoples. It did get ugly once Japan realized they had their hands full trying to control a massive country like China. But there wasn't any attempt to eliminate all Chinese people like the Germans did with Jews. And, you have to remember that Japan was actually encouraged to start doing this by a U.S. president . . . named Roosevelt. T.R. believed that backwards countries like Korea would benefit from having a colonial overlord, and was convinced by a single Japanese citizen (Kaneko Kentaro, who went to Harvard and was introduced to T.R. after college) that Japan's Samurai warrior ethos and Bushido Code made them uniquely qualified to bring order to Asia in an honorable way. T.R. didn't really know anything about Japan other than what this Japanese citizen told him.
Yes and no. Working in Asia, you learn that what we think is racism here is just racism light. I imagine that if you gave them a way most Asian nationalities would wipe out the others without a second thought.
I hope the link works. My friend in Odessa shared this to illustrate an all too common Russian mindset regarding Ukraine.
I don't think factory style genocide is required to make race a major component of conflict. The Japanese were the superior and pure Yamato race. Deserving of freeing (and conquering) the east from western influence. Her war crimes in China are on par with any non concentration camp atrocity on the eastern front. Events like Nanking were absolutely racial bloodlust. We're not absolved from the race aspect of the Pacific theater either. Japan certainly felt betrayed multiple times by the US and we most certainly had 19th century views of the Japanese, to say the least.... Not to imply that race caused any of it. Like most every war - resources are at the core, but mix in racial hatred and people go dark. Quick.
And Lapid has the Foreign Minister portfolio. Part of Bennett’s swishiness is the danger of stepping on Lapid’s toes (and that Bennett kind of sucks).
Note my edit. But Bennett also has the problem that, if anyone defects and he faces a no confidence, he’s screwed and the country is back to perpetual elections, and then there’s the possibility of Full calorie Bibi.
Perpetual elections without Netanyahu might not be such a terrible thing. That's assuming he will face some consequences from the corruption charges.
Cnn live "China must not "undermine" sanctions against Russia, says European Commission chief From CNN's Niamh Kennedy China has a "special responsibility" to uphold international peace and not "undermine" sanctions against Russia, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen said Wednesday. Addressing the European Parliament in Brussels, von der Leyen said the European Union expects "the rest of the world to take a clear stance against Putin's war of choice." She added that the bloc has sent a message to China calling for sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU to be respected, or at the least, not to be circumvented and undermined. "As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, China has a special responsibility to uphold international peace and security," von der Leyen told EU lawmakers."
Frankly every single Russian diplomat/ambassador should be expelled from the US, UK, EU, etc. "12 Russian diplomats to be expelled from Greece From CNN's Chris Liakos Greece has announced it is removing 12 Russian diplomats. "The Greek authorities have declared 12 members of the diplomatic and consular missions of the Russian Federation accredited in Greece as personae non gratae," the Greek Foreign Ministry said in a press release Wednesday. The Russian Ambassador in Greece was informed earlier today about this decision, according to the Foreign Ministry. Portugal, Italy, Sweden, Spain, Estonia, Denmark and Latvia all announced Tuesday that they would expel Russian diplomats and staff members from their respective territories."
