The IDF said the raids were “limited, localized, and targeted,” and aimed at destroying Hezbollah targets and pushing fighters away from the Israeli border.
Call me paranoid, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bibi’s insane escalations have two reasons. Both to keep the war tempo up (and thus the excuse to keep him in power and out of jail), and to dare the Dems to come out against him. Either they don’t, and prove they’re whipped; or they do, and open themselves up to a new line of attack. Bibi’s blatant alliance with the GOP is well-known.
I think Bibi knows that Biden isn’t going to change course before the election, so he is using this month to escalate things enough to keep them going as long as possible afterwards.
In Israel, once things calm down, there will be elections, and Bibi knows he probably won’t win.
On the other hand, domestically, invading Lebanon is very popular - even most of the left wing Jewish opposition supports it.
It’s crazy making, and frustrating, believe me. But if you only read the Hebrew media and aren’t a good enough English speaker to read the international news, it’s almost like you live in a different reality where all of the awfulness of Israel goes unmentioned while the awfulness of Hamas and Hezbollah gets talked about 24/7
He knows that he’d die before anyone got around to censuring him. He doesn’t have to give a shit, because we live in a world which allows hatred to be an acceptable political position that too many will happily vote for.
The tail is wagging the dog. Not a good position for US to be in. Makes us look weak.
The US tries to look strong? From where I am, it looks like a nation with a surplus of terrible infrastructure, an education system which produces a surprising amount of failure, and overall waning relevance on the world stage.
This may be hard to remember, but there was a pretty long period of history where the U.S. wasn’t represented by bumbling idiots, and the U.S. definitely projected strength on the world stage. There was even a brief window of competency during the Obama era where it seemed like the U.S. could be a leader again.
Idiots or not, the US remains the only superpower in the world. This may change soon with China and India booming but for now the US runs global politics. The US spends more per year on military than the next nine countries combined.
I could go on. I’m not proud of my country’s military or the things we allow to happen like what’s going on in Gaza. But it is impressive in it’s dominance, especially now that Russia has revealed itself as a paper tiger.
The US spends more per year on military than the next nine countries combined.
“I’m important because I can beat you up,” sounds like how an abuser frames their ‘importance’. I would say that economic and cultural power are becoming more important than military power.
You would be wrong, there is a reason China is spending so much. Also China never reports accurate numbers. Given the rapid expansion and modernization their military has undergone the last 20 years, it’s likely they’re spending as much if not more than the US.
Yeah that’s a fiction we’ve always told ourselves. We’ve been represented by bumbling idiots for very very long time. The more history you study the more scattered and absurd all things seem. Basically half of foreign policy from the last 70 years was Henry Kissinger just stumbling from one thing to a next with nothing to guide him accept his own pride and greed. Competence is pretty much a fiction.
The tail is wagging the dog. Not a good position for US to be in. Makes us look weak. This is not how friends treat each other.
Call me paranoid, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Bibi’s insane escalations have two reasons. Both to keep the war tempo up (and thus the excuse to keep him in power and out of jail), and to dare the Dems to come out against him. Either they don’t, and prove they’re whipped; or they do, and open themselves up to a new line of attack. Bibi’s blatant alliance with the GOP is well-known.
I think Bibi knows that Biden isn’t going to change course before the election, so he is using this month to escalate things enough to keep them going as long as possible afterwards. In Israel, once things calm down, there will be elections, and Bibi knows he probably won’t win.
On the other hand, domestically, invading Lebanon is very popular - even most of the left wing Jewish opposition supports it. It’s crazy making, and frustrating, believe me. But if you only read the Hebrew media and aren’t a good enough English speaker to read the international news, it’s almost like you live in a different reality where all of the awfulness of Israel goes unmentioned while the awfulness of Hamas and Hezbollah gets talked about 24/7
He knows that he’d die before anyone got around to censuring him. He doesn’t have to give a shit, because we live in a world which allows hatred to be an acceptable political position that too many will happily vote for.
The US tries to look strong? From where I am, it looks like a nation with a surplus of terrible infrastructure, an education system which produces a surprising amount of failure, and overall waning relevance on the world stage.
This may be hard to remember, but there was a pretty long period of history where the U.S. wasn’t represented by bumbling idiots, and the U.S. definitely projected strength on the world stage. There was even a brief window of competency during the Obama era where it seemed like the U.S. could be a leader again.
Idiots or not, the US remains the only superpower in the world. This may change soon with China and India booming but for now the US runs global politics. The US spends more per year on military than the next nine countries combined.
I could go on. I’m not proud of my country’s military or the things we allow to happen like what’s going on in Gaza. But it is impressive in it’s dominance, especially now that Russia has revealed itself as a paper tiger.
“I’m important because I can beat you up,” sounds like how an abuser frames their ‘importance’. I would say that economic and cultural power are becoming more important than military power.
Military power is still important as well. For example, the US military spending is probably the only reason Ukraine is still a country.
I’m Ukrainian. Military power is also why my family are dying.
If killing people is wrong, the only possible response is to stop killing people.
I agree but unfortunately its the reality.
You would be wrong, there is a reason China is spending so much. Also China never reports accurate numbers. Given the rapid expansion and modernization their military has undergone the last 20 years, it’s likely they’re spending as much if not more than the US.
I’m not sure that tanks can avert climate change.
Avert?
Nope, but they decide who gets the resources that are left…
I’m glad I haven’t had children, then.
Yeah that’s a fiction we’ve always told ourselves. We’ve been represented by bumbling idiots for very very long time. The more history you study the more scattered and absurd all things seem. Basically half of foreign policy from the last 70 years was Henry Kissinger just stumbling from one thing to a next with nothing to guide him accept his own pride and greed. Competence is pretty much a fiction.
US now in the byzantine period…