“ Also central to that rules-based international order is partnerships and allies.”
We have a problem here. There are no rules-based international “order”. Merely self serving disorder.
We know that we have and will continue to have non-state and state bad actors. This has existed for many decades, if not always. We also have for many cent…
“ Also central to that rules-based international order is partnerships and allies.”
We have a problem here. There are no rules-based international “order”. Merely self serving disorder.
We know that we have and will continue to have non-state and state bad actors. This has existed for many decades, if not always. We also have for many centuries had explorers like Columbus and others travel the planet looking for lands and wealth, that they said were unclaimed. This led to colonization and terrifying genocidal abuse of indigenous people.
Those who have come to recognize colonialism for what it is and has done, both enriching dominant mostly western nations, and disrupting the civilized progress of undeveloped nations due to colonial and domestic wars and upheaval within those countries, acknowledge the oppression, struggles, violence and war that continues. We should not give the bad actors a pass, but we should not accept, use and continue the colonial power atrocities of the past.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s annihilating oppression and bombardment of Palestinians that has gone on in varying degrees for 75 years, our Vietnam War which started with our restoring French colonial rule there after WWII, our CIA overthrow of many democratically elected officials including Iran’s in the 1950, our preemptive war in Iraq and occupation of Afghanistan under GW Bush, all with continuations by following US presidents, are all examples of this colonial power mindset and genocidal history.
The Hamas attack on Oct 7th was merely a match set to a tinder box and dead forests of colonial attitudes and practices that are forever leaving dead wood behind rather than fertile green verdant soil, land, forests and people who could and should work together with equal respect.
Attacking the Houthis seems like a necessary action. But it grows out of Israel’s current unrelenting destruction of a 2+ million civilian population that is a 75 year plus centuries of colonial history.
Straws are breaking the back of humanity that has struggled with the burden of dictators masquerading as “good guys” running nations pretending to be “democracies” claiming roots in “religious principles” that really build their power and agenda with “nationalism” that fuels itself on biases, bigotry, racial, ethnic and religious differences and hatred.
We need a new world order. Trump is merely the Frankenstein of our creation from millions of bad decisions, poor choices and selfish behavior. We must stop this cycle. South Africa must be taken seriously if we are to have a “rules-based international order” where all violence against civilians is treated the same, where Israeli or Palestinian are of equal value deserving equal protection.
David, you make really good points. We can find the skeletons of horrific and stupid decisions haunting and bedeviling almost every current conflict we face. The US has been uber creative in its destructive meddling for a long time. We have created some of the regimes we hoped to prevent. Stupid stuff. You provide good examples.
But I live in the present moment. All that matters is what we do now. The three "H"s must be at the very least rendered relatively harmless - at best, eradicated. The Palestinians must have a home - a nation state. The Israelis must clean up their selfish and brutal act in the West Bank.
While I am in sympathy with much of your thinking. The idea that the October 7th attack was merely a "match set to a tinder box" is a tempting analogy. But it was a lot more than that. It was a large slaughter of a peaceful group of folks - many of home had been interacting with Palestinians in a harmonious manner. It was an unacceptable act of horror.
Hamas perpetrated something that is an emblem of their only political platform: to eliminate an entire nation and all its inhabitants. That platform and its proponents do not deserve to live. And the awful pain, suffering and deaths of the Gazans is the direct result of their allowing brutal murderers to rule them. Hamas has received billions from sympathetic actors like Qatar. Did they use that money to improve the lives of Gazans? No. They spent it on tunnels under civilian facilities and on rockets that were continuously rained down on innocent Israeli civilians.
I would argue that Netanyahu has handled this war very badly. But PLEASE don't downplay the importance of the October 7th atrocity. Gazans should not have to suffer as they are. But the harsh reality is that they allowed Hamas to thrive and metastasize into a cancerous and deadly entity that must be excised.
There are three Hamas leaders in Qatar - their wealth is estimated at $9 billion. How much of that is being spent on water and food for their people? How much of that is being used to buy rockets from Iran? Where is the focus on the relationship between Iran and Russia? America has been a bad actor - I totally agree. But I think right now, Putin and the Ayatollah are in the running for an Oscar - "best supporting role"?
"We have a problem here. There are no rules-based international “order”. Merely self serving disorder."
Bingo.
For example: It really is too bad that the United States so alienated Iran that we are now thought of as an enemy by that country.
Had we, the USA/CIA, not sponsored a coup against the Iranian ELECTED leader, by the democratic process, in 1953 and then installed a brutal dictator, the Shah of Iran, to terrorize, kill, torture and rob Iranians until 1979 when we literally sheltered the Shah here in the USA in his old age? Maybe we, the USA, would not be so hated by Iran??
We, the US, sponsored exactly your "self serving disorder".
What might that part of world look like now if we had not sponsored that illegal, non-rules based order coup?? Maybe those crazy Ayatollah's would not have taken over since Iran might likely have maintained itself as a Democracy.
The world little knows and apparently does not long remember how the US can mess stuff up so bad.
So much for US "supporting the rules based order". Right? It would be funny if it were not so very tragic.
David, “a new world order” indeed for a planet at risk—on SO many levels—and yet reading those words I could only envision trying to herd cats. I walk the knife’s edge between hope and despair.
David Sours: I agree with your thinking about colonization and you are right, we need to recognize it for what it is and how damaging it has been and still is. Thank you for pointing this out. Important.
Dam, justification for Hamas’ evil and brutal attack. Most just ignore it. They didn’t right the wrongs of centuries. Neither have you. You negated a good point.
"Israel's unrelenting destruction "? No. Until Netanyahu's reign, it's been defense against unrelenting aggression by its Arab neighbors. That Arab aggression has helped create an ultra-right movement within Israel's once - idealistic society.
Colonialism? Yes, that was a root cause. But what do we do now? We're a few generations past that, at least in this era.
“ Also central to that rules-based international order is partnerships and allies.”
We have a problem here. There are no rules-based international “order”. Merely self serving disorder.
We know that we have and will continue to have non-state and state bad actors. This has existed for many decades, if not always. We also have for many centuries had explorers like Columbus and others travel the planet looking for lands and wealth, that they said were unclaimed. This led to colonization and terrifying genocidal abuse of indigenous people.
Those who have come to recognize colonialism for what it is and has done, both enriching dominant mostly western nations, and disrupting the civilized progress of undeveloped nations due to colonial and domestic wars and upheaval within those countries, acknowledge the oppression, struggles, violence and war that continues. We should not give the bad actors a pass, but we should not accept, use and continue the colonial power atrocities of the past.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Israel’s annihilating oppression and bombardment of Palestinians that has gone on in varying degrees for 75 years, our Vietnam War which started with our restoring French colonial rule there after WWII, our CIA overthrow of many democratically elected officials including Iran’s in the 1950, our preemptive war in Iraq and occupation of Afghanistan under GW Bush, all with continuations by following US presidents, are all examples of this colonial power mindset and genocidal history.
The Hamas attack on Oct 7th was merely a match set to a tinder box and dead forests of colonial attitudes and practices that are forever leaving dead wood behind rather than fertile green verdant soil, land, forests and people who could and should work together with equal respect.
Attacking the Houthis seems like a necessary action. But it grows out of Israel’s current unrelenting destruction of a 2+ million civilian population that is a 75 year plus centuries of colonial history.
Straws are breaking the back of humanity that has struggled with the burden of dictators masquerading as “good guys” running nations pretending to be “democracies” claiming roots in “religious principles” that really build their power and agenda with “nationalism” that fuels itself on biases, bigotry, racial, ethnic and religious differences and hatred.
We need a new world order. Trump is merely the Frankenstein of our creation from millions of bad decisions, poor choices and selfish behavior. We must stop this cycle. South Africa must be taken seriously if we are to have a “rules-based international order” where all violence against civilians is treated the same, where Israeli or Palestinian are of equal value deserving equal protection.
David, you make really good points. We can find the skeletons of horrific and stupid decisions haunting and bedeviling almost every current conflict we face. The US has been uber creative in its destructive meddling for a long time. We have created some of the regimes we hoped to prevent. Stupid stuff. You provide good examples.
But I live in the present moment. All that matters is what we do now. The three "H"s must be at the very least rendered relatively harmless - at best, eradicated. The Palestinians must have a home - a nation state. The Israelis must clean up their selfish and brutal act in the West Bank.
While I am in sympathy with much of your thinking. The idea that the October 7th attack was merely a "match set to a tinder box" is a tempting analogy. But it was a lot more than that. It was a large slaughter of a peaceful group of folks - many of home had been interacting with Palestinians in a harmonious manner. It was an unacceptable act of horror.
Hamas perpetrated something that is an emblem of their only political platform: to eliminate an entire nation and all its inhabitants. That platform and its proponents do not deserve to live. And the awful pain, suffering and deaths of the Gazans is the direct result of their allowing brutal murderers to rule them. Hamas has received billions from sympathetic actors like Qatar. Did they use that money to improve the lives of Gazans? No. They spent it on tunnels under civilian facilities and on rockets that were continuously rained down on innocent Israeli civilians.
I would argue that Netanyahu has handled this war very badly. But PLEASE don't downplay the importance of the October 7th atrocity. Gazans should not have to suffer as they are. But the harsh reality is that they allowed Hamas to thrive and metastasize into a cancerous and deadly entity that must be excised.
There are three Hamas leaders in Qatar - their wealth is estimated at $9 billion. How much of that is being spent on water and food for their people? How much of that is being used to buy rockets from Iran? Where is the focus on the relationship between Iran and Russia? America has been a bad actor - I totally agree. But I think right now, Putin and the Ayatollah are in the running for an Oscar - "best supporting role"?
"We have a problem here. There are no rules-based international “order”. Merely self serving disorder."
Bingo.
For example: It really is too bad that the United States so alienated Iran that we are now thought of as an enemy by that country.
Had we, the USA/CIA, not sponsored a coup against the Iranian ELECTED leader, by the democratic process, in 1953 and then installed a brutal dictator, the Shah of Iran, to terrorize, kill, torture and rob Iranians until 1979 when we literally sheltered the Shah here in the USA in his old age? Maybe we, the USA, would not be so hated by Iran??
We, the US, sponsored exactly your "self serving disorder".
What might that part of world look like now if we had not sponsored that illegal, non-rules based order coup?? Maybe those crazy Ayatollah's would not have taken over since Iran might likely have maintained itself as a Democracy.
The world little knows and apparently does not long remember how the US can mess stuff up so bad.
So much for US "supporting the rules based order". Right? It would be funny if it were not so very tragic.
David, “a new world order” indeed for a planet at risk—on SO many levels—and yet reading those words I could only envision trying to herd cats. I walk the knife’s edge between hope and despair.
even cats can be herded if the right enticement is offered.
David Sours: I agree with your thinking about colonization and you are right, we need to recognize it for what it is and how damaging it has been and still is. Thank you for pointing this out. Important.
Dam, justification for Hamas’ evil and brutal attack. Most just ignore it. They didn’t right the wrongs of centuries. Neither have you. You negated a good point.
"Israel's unrelenting destruction "? No. Until Netanyahu's reign, it's been defense against unrelenting aggression by its Arab neighbors. That Arab aggression has helped create an ultra-right movement within Israel's once - idealistic society.
Colonialism? Yes, that was a root cause. But what do we do now? We're a few generations past that, at least in this era.