“Today, at my direction,” President Joe Biden said this evening, “U.S. military forces—together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways.”
But, is it not tragic that the only news we all see is about Trump? My google news feed, Lester Holt on the nightly news, my wife's facebook feed?
All about Trump.
The only time I learn what Biden is doing is right here on this HCR letter page.
America loves Trump (and money) so much that nobody can report on the boring, rational, meticulous actions of Joe Biden. That does not sell ad space and get clicks.
But, Trump's crazy DOES get clicks so ? All of America knows when Trump dumps in his pants again (which apparently happens routinely now).
The only news about Trump is without analysis, just parroting back what he says. Apparently the journalists are afraid to do their jobs too. No news about Biden, but when the WSJ says the economy is good, they don't mention Biden or Bidenomics. I only read about Biden when they find something to criticize. Our oligarch owned mainstream news media is just telling more of THE BIG LIE.
Linda, I fear there IS logic behind what the MSM cover and it devolves into what captures eyeballs and ears for their advertisers. Biden's accomplishments are complex, detailed and often subtle (until he strikes militarily) and require some concentration to understand, not attributes the MSM (except perhaps PBS sometimes) are known to play to. MSM play to the lowest common denominator because it makes them more money by reaching more eyes and ears. And in the end, they operate in a capitalist system where the bottom line rules (in more ways than one). Unless we can find more effective ways to balance the voracious appetites of capitalism with sensible regulation and laws protecting "we the people" the more likely we will be doomed to more and more of the stuff which feeds those with the most money already.
If they just reported the news rather than having glitzy opinion shows about selected news stories, it would be a great service to the public and keep us in practice processing to our own conclusions. What we get is pre-digested "entertainment". I miss Walter Cronkite!
Thank you for mentioning this. Why can Biden continue to help Israel, with & without the approval of Congress, but so much is made of the Houthis helping Palestine? Why don't we have a CEASE FIRE and stop all of this?? Isn't it a political problem (now with so many 1,000's dead), going back to before 1948? Thank goodness South Africa had the courage to step in.
They are not helping Palestine at all. They are only one of a huge network of terrorist organizations aiming to cause terror and instability. They have been active far before the October 7 Hamas attack. And make no mistake, it is impossible to negotiate with these types of organizations. Cast your mind back to horrific bombings all over the world, London, Paris, Mumbai etc. There is no end game but terror and destruction.
I suspect "we" don't have a cease-fire precisely and expressly because of groups like the Houthis, HAMAS, Hezbollah, and the other non-state actors, backed by anti-Israel governments, who act to keep Israel and any country that wants to use the Med near Israel or the Suez Canal/Red Sea in danger from attacks. You realize they do this intentionally to prevent or delay a cease-fire; their goal clearly appears to be greater destabilization, a wider war, in order to bring the country of Israel to an end, and they seem to be willing to sacrifice as many lives as possible to accomplish that end. Any more than Putin cannot be permitted to end Ukraine as a country, these anti-Israel actors, whether governments or non-state actors, cannot be permitted to end Israel as a country. (I won't speak about Netanyahu's and Israel's governments' unspeakable acts which are at least partly responsible for the overall situation, but in my view, Israel, as much as Ukraine, has the right to exist as an independent country.)
"anti-Israel governments" -- Putin -- all the turmoil is a gift for Putin to strain the West resources and perseverance. Anything to hurt the West/Ukraine/the U.S. helps Putin et al.
I dont get it either, Beverly - 23,000 and counting of civilians (since the Israeli government only claims Hamas dead) Its past time for the US and other countries to come together & stop supporting Netanyahu's war.
I've written to the WH and to my senators & repres. Are they listening?
I understand Israel's need to respond to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7th, but what the IDF is doing to the Palestinian civilian population is abhorrent and clearly a war crime. The Israeli government says that they are trying to protect Palestinian civilians, but we are not seeing that. Civilians are told to move to the south for instance and then they get bombed when they get there. The Biden administration is complicit in this slaughter by only "urging" Israel to protect civilians, but not actually doing anything of substance that would result in their protection. We hear about the cooperation of other countries in striking the Houthis, but where is our country's cooperation when it comes to virtually every other country in the world calling for a cease fire?
Profit before all else -- our democracy included. Perhaps Congress should look into expanding the scope of the FCC to apply regulations regarding the distribution of false information to cable channels, including the Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, and others. Too bad (for us) that Congress is too busy fiddling while Rome burns.
And THAT "lowest common denominator" is why so much of the news and so-called entertainment consists of reality(??) shows, commercials & the dumpster!
Why "influencers" are yet another form of reality. People who dont appear to have any form of talent or ability to do anything but generate clicks. Yet they make thousands if not millions of dollars & influence our children.
Voracious appetites of capitalism describes it perfectly, John!
Business of any kind is no longer about providing a service. It is simply about the money. If companies could figure out how to print money without actually doing anything, nothing of value would ever be produced again. And if some public company went against the grain and decided to continue satisfying customers, their stock would fall and their management would be voted out at the next stockholder's meeting.
Sometime around the 1980s, when the concept of "shareholder value" was elevated to mythic status, we stopped being an economy centered on providing goods and services. Ever since then, our economy has simply been measured by generating the largest possible amount of money. If you want an explanation for why the MSM sacrifices accuracy for eyeballs and clicks, or why car companies stop making the kinds of cars people want to buy, look no further.
I agree except that one of the big differences between big business/corporations, and small businesses, is that small businesses often/usually prioritize quality and customer service over profit. Look at any small business in your town or city and compare it to a like business in the corporate sector--small smashburger business vs. McDonalds for instance. The cost of the small will probably be more, but quality of everything (including ambiance) will probably be higher/greater. Until said business is swallowed by a larger, profit-oriented group. Allowing/encouraging this kind of business model may have been good for acquisition of more/cheaper goods at the expense of true entrepreneurship that most of us probably appreciate has been part of the march toward shoddiness of everything in our world.
Yes, and Brian Tyler Cohen/No Lie, Judd Legum/Popular Information, and of course, our own Heather Cox Richardson. There are some great voices trying to scream truth into the void that is the "media" but they are too few. We might all breathe easier with a complete media blackout on Trump except a simple daily update on his various legal issues reported factually and without opinion.
I find that I am getting most of my analysis of USA news from Substacks. I also appreciate the Guardian. I subscribe to Popular Information, but not No Lie. I do read Jay Kuo, Joyce Vance, Thom Hartmann, Robert Hubbell, Tim Mak, Aaron Ruper and many others, as well as Carnegie News, Olear, The Lever, ProPublica, The Intercept, The Volt, Liz Dye, Noah Berlatsky, Meduza, The Beet, and others.
That is a lot to read....but I hear you and find in the midst of all the MSM chaos reporting, these are voices steering the right course. I add Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Timothy Snyder (altho they do analysis), Jennifer Rubin.
Linda, the problem with the news today is people can choose the reality they hear. Each of these many great substacks has an angle and people like it or they go somewhere else. Much in the news is not to be liked. I can remember as a child being annoyed because every night at dinner time all the main networks reported the news (no cable at the time; just ABC, CBS, and NBC). They all said pretty much the same thing, just the facts without sarcasm and disdain. Regular programming came back at prime time. Everyone was informed and up to speed (mostly). Now with 500 channels to compete with, the shiniest objects get the viewers and the advertising income.
You are probably a neighbor of my son who works at UW Mad. Lots of UW professors in his neighborhood. He just sent a pic of the snow in the yard. Postcardesque. Stay warm.
I find it's much healthier to READ the news. When you remove the audio it's one aspect of your limbic system that is less vulnerable to outside influence. Look at the adjectives and you'll see the biased, "spin" words jump out at you.
Thanks for the reference. I believe my husband watches that. He is getting much more news from Youtube than I do. I am more likely to read my news, although I do watch German nightly news on ARD and ZDF from time to time.
Make sure to research the news source you are watching on UTube. There are so called legitimate news sources that are sponsored by Authoritarian governments.
True and another thing that annoys me is all the negatives the media sees fit to attach to every mention of President Biden. Axios ran an article about a Harris Poll concerning American’s attitudes toward the economy. Their conclusion: (paraphrasing) How Americans feel about the economy “could sink Biden in the fall.”
It is up to the Democratic chair and the Democratic party to aggressive in getting the message out to the American people. Most of the media is bought and paid for by billionaires and corporations who support Trump.
Trump is always angry. He is always attacking someone, especially those who confront his lies, and he always implies that there will be a violent response. And his followers get the message. So far, there have been thousands of threats but few actual attacks. That could change quickly. So far, no consequences from any court, just appeals, delays, and foolish claims.
I don’t understand with all the threats Trump makes against the courts, judges , election workers, why he is not in jail. There were gag orders which he violates without consequence. Even a bomb threat against Judge Engoron’s home yesterday before Trump appeared in his court. And nothing????
It remains mind-boggling how he has ALWAYS gotten away with all his misdeeds. But now his comeuppance is nearing, and he's lashing out, and I suppose the judges are giving him leeway so that their rulings can't be challenged as being partisan or whatever.
It scares me to think he wants a jury trial.....are there enough people that don't have and opinion to be a juror? I believe in truth and law and to me it is clear cut....he is guilty!
The fact that tfg HAS to be the lead news headline, that he made sure he was always in front of the camera, that instead of listening to the daily briefing he prefers to call in to his favorite propaganda network and ramble for an hour - instead of ACTUALLY DOING ANY WORK WORTH REPORTING ABOUT.
His middle-of-the-night Tweets used to be the thing people awoke to each morning,
usually with a sense of dread. "What fresh hell is this we will be facing today?"
No wonder there is a mental health crisis in the USA!
I recommend all news begin with an outline of FACTS,
perspective on actions proposed for solutions by experts*,
and only then - a one sentence statement
of how DJT has NO sane contribution to the discussion,
and/or how his ranting and volatility would have deepened the CRISIS.
QUIT LETTING HIM SPIN EVENTS with his eternal LIES.
"Every accusation is a confession." He is the master of PROJECTION.
*"Proposed solutions" specifically to contrast the GOP and MAGA tactics to "poison the well."
They are always and only complaining - when in fact, they are doing ALL they can to block, hinder, or oppose resolving any situation or crisis.
Their plan is to stir up fear, anger and despair.
They then can push their authoritarian Project 2025.
In the end, this will put unqualified and unethical rich white men in charge and control of everyone else's lives.
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you are probably on the menu."
I don't watch the news because it's not mentally and emotionally healthy for me. I'm sick of this "condemn" routine. That's as useless as me shooting my Nerf gun against the wall to relieve my anger. We need to stop using our words when they draw first blood.
Stations used to be required to run news programs, and not for a profit. They were expected to be fair. That was one of the costs of doing business if you wanted to show your programming.
And we had this thing called the Fairness Doctrine. Reagan abolished it in 1987.
Then we decided that EVERYTHING needed to be monetized and voila, here we are.
You can't get BBCworld service news? My smart speaker plays it all night long, allowing me to wake up without having Trump sh*t filling my head. You have choices, you just have to stop being so passive.
The Kardashians and a seemingly endless flow of “influencers” get a lot of coverage too. You can find Biden and Biden Administration coverage if you look for it. The campaign is just now starting. It may be that some of Trump’s coverage in 90 days may be a guilty verdict in a criminal trial.
Yes it is. The mainstream media is doing their very best to get back their golden goose. I hear that Madonna is the source of the wisdom "There's no such thing as bad publicity." In 2016 the media gave Trump a name recognition he never formerly had except in high society snobs and New York, even though they did it through bad publicity. 2024 appears to to be a repeat of 2016. If movers and shakers didn't want Trump, they would black him out like they did Sanders in 2016. Movers and shakers surely would rather we talked about "Trump" than demand to talk about issues.
"Insecure toddler" might better describe the entire GOP party for how can they all support this narcissistic conman in good conscience? They are weak, insecure, scared to defy him, not only to their detriment but to loyal Republican supporters and the American people caught up in their evil plan.
I agree....but look and see the damage a "toddler" can do. This behavior will escalate if not firmly and consistently addressed. If not corrected, this behavior gives permission to other "toddlers". They leave a path of disaster with delight....not remorse.
True, Biden is a sane adult, a person who is not propelled by religious beliefs to annihilate another who holds different religious views. Imagine a world without religious dogma. If that could be the case, women could enjoy equal rights and status here in the U.S. and in the Muslim countries. Instead, females are treated as mere chattels. An Ohio grand jury has just declined to indict Brittany Watts, the 34-year-old woman charged with abusing a corpse after experiencing a miscarriage at home. Trump knows that his base is composed of white Protestant racists and plays that chord constantly. I call them the American Taliban. With six Roman Catholics on the U.S. Supreme Court, women's rights are at great risk.
Roman Catholics are a significant part of the Religious Right and are probably the brains of the group.
Roughly half of the Catholics voted for Trump.
Justice Sotomayor is not of the same ilk as the Catholic conservative judges. Note that Leonard Leo, the Catholic former(?) head of the Federalist Society who selected most of the conservatives, has all the earmarks of an integralist - he wants the country run according to (conservative) Catholic doctrine.
Intelligent, sane, reasoned responses are made by the Biden Administration every day. How boring! The vindictive, irrational decisions made by a man who is clearly losing it is much more interesting. No wonder Trump gets all the attention: Mad men are truly more capable of attracting attention.
When we vote for a presidential ticket, we elect an executive administration.
Joe Biden's picks have been based on allegiance to democratic principles and ability to carry them out in national and international policy. To care for the general welfare and national security. These are parlous times. They call for considered action.. If nothing else - and there is much else - having Anthony Blinken as Secretary of State was worth the vote.
While some might prefer the immediate gratification of bombast and belligerence, of unilateral proclamations and ultimatums, those are as antithetical to diplomacy as they are to any other function of good governance. The choice between Trump or Biden, between Republican or Democratic administrations, in diplomacy as elsewhere, is the choice between grievance and violence or truth and reconciliation. As we can see in the difference between the Democratic lead Senate and the Republican lead House, it is a difference between achieving comity or provoking chaos. And it is our choice. To unite for the better opportunity of achieving our shared goals. Or not.
For all those naysayers who talk about Joe Biden’s age, we present The Administration- a well organized collection of experts who know how to navigate in their respective fields. They can present the issues, relay responses, and give real scenarios to inform the POTUS of his options.
Compare that with Trump’s cabinet - a bunch of rich toadies who were more interested in their Oval Office picture than tackling the issues that faced America and its standing in the world.
Jane: Absolutely! Crooks don’t surround themselves with honest people. Narcissistic people don’t surround themselves with experts who know more. Obviously, TFFG’s advisors and Cabinet (past and future) tell you who he is.
Voting for Biden is voting for all the honest, expert people he appoints and listens to. He has shown us who he is.
Look at Putin - when the war w Ukraine began, Putin was assured Russia had the very best wartime technology. But, since Putin only knows liars and theives, he got “what he paid for”. It’s astonishing he didn’t see that coming.
JaneDough56 all so true. A true leader knows how to put the right people in the right positions; people that know their job and their roll in the bigger picture. The former president never was and would never be a good leader, only a mean tempered authoritarian. Those kind cannot be trusted in any way shape or form. His cabinet were like musical chairs - none had any expertise in any position. It was a despicable part of our history and we’re still dealing with him. When will it end?
Joe has paid his dues and all those years everyone attributes to his old age, he spent them well and learned a lot. I think history will look on him kindly to say the least and it’s a shame that more of those he is serving so well do not give him credit
A good leader also knows that experienced people improves the leader’s image and performance, while a poor leader is jealous of a person’s expertise. He only hires people who are inept, so he can take all the credit for success and dole out blame to the inept for failure.
Same antidemocratic religious extremist principles.
But as it is a different system, Netanyahu's administration is more like the GOP House, plum appointments go to the extremists Netanyahu must pander to to keep his position.
You capture so well the stark differences between traditional American administrations - grappling with intractable international challenges with a view to the greater good - and the destabilizing “bombast and belligerence" of a Trump administration content to fan and legitimate so many deadly prejudices and self-interested grievances.
Joe Biden leads with experience. He builds relationships. He has a great team of diplomats as well as those who are working to "build back better". Can we improve? ALWAYS! and we must not just "let projects go without supervision on a regular basis!
As we open our borders to receive immigrants , we must help the border states receiving immigrants. We must as a nation be prepared with processing stations....we must have housing and staff who can speak the languages of those coming to us.
Fellow citizens....their needs provide jobs for Americans .....their needs provide opportunitues to introduce them in a positive way to our great country. Let's admit and observe the many jobs they are willing to take that our citizens will not! Immigrants also need our protection!!!
How many of us would travel by foot through rivers and jungles with practically nothing to be a part of this nation? How many of us take the time to VOTE?
We have plenty of disrupters within our own government in our states and within each and all government positions. We do not need to point our fingers at the problems with people seeking asylum at the border.
We do need to educate our children to value this country and to value Democracy and to respect those who have left everything because they have heard about the opportunities we offer for a better life. The immigrants have suffered so much to come here....how much more do they appreciate freedom than we?
President Biden has been elected and served his state and this country in Washington most of his life. He loves this country and all the best for which it stands. Leaders throughout the world know him and trust him. No one is perfect, but I believe that along with his advisers, we have been able to accomplish much good.....not only here but throughout the world.
Emily - I agree. I’ve done some volunteer refugee resettlement (previously with refugees from the Balkan wars and now with a Ukrainian refugee family). I’ve seen so much hard work, gratitude and loyalty to the U.S. If only all of our native-born citizens could appreciate and possibly even emulate these new Americans.
I remember watching those confirmation hearing and being dissappointed with Thomas's acceptance to the Supreme Court. Yes, Biden carries blame for that, and we are all paying the price. I do not want to minimize the error, but I also firmly believe that Biden has learned from his mistakes and has adapted and changed with the times. The result of such a career is a seasoned and capable politician and administrator who has the insights and capacity to lead the U.S. well. The point of today's post is just that, and it's an obvious contrast to his political opposition.
In a 2019 article in the NYT, Anita Hill described a discussion with Biden in which he expressed regret for what she went through. She appreciated the call but told the Times that it fell short of an apology and by itself was not enough. She didn't think his actions were disqualifying, but hoped to see proper actions and policies for women.
Since that hearing, has progress been made in our society on the issue of violence against women? I would say yes, but not nearly enough. I would also say that progress would be reversed during a 2nd Trump administration - maybe not due to any laws being repealed, but through overt misogynistic behavior by Trump.
"Permitting the Saudis"?? Like we have control. And trying to stop someone from terrorist acts is wrong? If I was your neighbor and was lobbing grenades onto your property, what would you do? If I was threatening the Uber and Amazon trucks coming down your street, what would you do? Would you take action or demand that the police take action, or would you just keep calling me a naughty boy?
Maybe more has been donated to Bidens campaigns because he was in Congress so long......"glorious career". Also beneficiaries include: Lindsay, Ted, Marco, McCain (before), McConnell, Mark Kirk (all lovely republicans).
The truth. All this adoration of Biden makes me sick to my stomach. No I am NOT a Trump supporter, heaven forbid. I voted for Biden and loathe Trump et al and everything they stand for. That has not blinded me however to Biden et al’s despicable support of the murderous Israeli regime and their war crimes. No I would NEVER vote for Trump or any of his minions and wanna-be clones but I will also never vote for Biden again either. Fortunately (in this particular instance ONLY) I live in a state that is so thoroughly red that unless some kind of miracle occurs and it does not go massively and overwhelmingly for Trump, my vote doesn’t count and is useless and meaningless for all intents and purposes.
What appears most is for the soap opera mentality sector, drama queens, attention getters- that group. NEWS is not found on channels lusting to viewership /bottom line dollar raising/corporate strangleholds/hostage actors /followers of fantasy fanatics.
People who regularly vote , most often by facts , read credible sources. There’s growing evidence through courts dismissing appeals /declaring guilty parties liable/citing multiple investigations sufficient basis for rendering sentences one after another and prison terms, who and their complicits are -the noisy , chaotic, law breaking and liars club. It isn’t a stretch, it’s fact after fact , and those remaining aboard that ship will eventually end up the same , just time is wasted folks and your taxpayer money looting the till.
Out of this we hope serious journalism can survive -my applause for credibility.
Out of this we learned loopholes in need to codify ,passing laws protecting principle, correcting long turned cheeks ‘looking the other way ‘ , accountability to truth.
I’ve been here subscribed to Heather’s, Steve’s , Simon’s Joyce’s , Ruth’s groups which are BTW free subscription( only paying customers can comment however) since near the getgo . I listen to PBS/BBC/watch documentary/research for collaboration, because the BS is big boot high to pander to that dollar EVERYWHERE!
The commentaries ,99% of the time are great, solid information gained carefully..I commend and appreciate y’all’s input. 🫶👏
It’s critical and forever work to sustain truth.
Know and promote the solution seekers . Biden and an incredibly team are bringing back America ‘s leadership through these years of turmoil. Much yet needs done.
Sorry, but your, and Heather’s, praise for both diplomacy and international rules-based order is a sham, couched in a propagandized, post-WWII desire for American hegemony. Every mention of rules-based order should be more accurately referred to as the American rules-based order, for that is what we seek. We look to the UN for a resolution to bomb Yemen, but veto one for a Gaza ceasefire. We value commerce, not the lives of people. There’s your American diplomacy. There is where America is. You’re right, that’s our choice.
Genocide Joe and Butcher Blinken have bombed Syria, Iraq, and Yemen now, in order to keeping letting Israel continue to bomb and slaughter Palestinians in Gaza. American rules-based order. Oh yes, and American diplomacy. But hey, it’s cool if war breaks out; we’ll just blame it on Iran, or Russia, or China. Because we’re the good guys, right?
“What Biden does not mention in his statement about his administration’s “response” to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea is the fact that those Red Sea attacks are themselves a response to Israeli crimes against humanity in Gaza. Also unmentioned is the fact that the strikes took place after the first day of proceedings in the International Court of Justice in which Israel stands accused by South Africa of committing a genocide in Gaza.
So the US and the UK just bombed the poorest country in the middle east for trying to stop a genocide. Not only that, they bombed the very same country in which they just spent years backing Saudi Arabia’s genocidal atrocities which killed hundreds of thousands of people between 2015 and 2022 in an unsuccessful bid to stop the Houthis from taking power.”
"diplomacy, the established method of influencing the decisions and behaviour of foreign governments and peoples through dialogue, negotiation, and other measures short of war or violence."
You are angry. There is certainly a cause for anger. Diplomacy is anger management.
“Perhaps the greatest canard of all in this briefest of trips by Blinken is the continued, now absurd claim, that Washington is committed “to working with partners to set the conditions necessary for peace in the Middle East, which includes comprehensive, tangible steps towards the realization of a future Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, with both living in peace and security.”
In his remarks to President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, Blinken showed the hardened ignorance that will ensure the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue in some form. In his mind, a “reformed” Palestinian Authority will take over the reins of a ruined Gaza (“effective responsibility”) whatever the residents of Gaza think.
Palestinians will never, given current conditions, be permitted sovereignty and anything remotely resembling a thriving, viable state. Israel, whose very existence is based on predation, dispossession and war, will never permit a Palestinian entity to be given equal standing at the diplomatic or security table. The US, in the tatty drag of an independent broker, will go along with the pantomime, promoting, as Blinken is, a sham, counterfeit form of autonomy, one forever subject to conditions, demarcations and restraints. And one thing is almost certain about any future rump Palestinian entity: it will be deprived of any right to defend itself.”
There is cause for Tom's anger (see my response to him). It is paralyzing to watch Israel actively conducting genocide on the Palestinians (the army have been passing out rifles to the settlers on the West Bank) after what the Jews experienced during the Holocaust. Diplomacy here is simply a dance on hot coals. Bibi HAS to be taken out....
Yes. I am glad you came right out with that. It was the same belief as in 2016. Elect Trump and let things get bad enough. But it didn't grind to a halt did it? It got worse. And at the expense of our most vulnerable neighbors, fragile planet, and endangered democracy.
Trump's abandonment of the Palestinians IS the most proximal reason for their violence in an attempt to bring the focus back onto their valid concerns.
Trump did not just abandon any hope for justice for Palestinians. Trump embraced and encouraged - put America's imprimatur on - the worst abuses of the racist right wing religious extremist Netanyahu regime. Trump, his Evangelical base, and AIPAC. The worst 'friends' Israel could have.
I am torn...probably in the same way Biden is. Here you have bully Bibi and his rabid right-wingers not only bent on wiping out Hamas, but as his blatant actions show, to annihilate all Palestinians whether by killing them or shoving them out of Israel. The world response is pure horror. I felt the same when Biden declared that we would back Israel and "my friend Bibi" 100%. The Houthis have clearly stated that they would stop their attacks the minute Israel stops theirs on Gaza. The US has now pulled back on their "100%" support. Blinken is between a rock and a hard place. So Tom, other than diplomacy, what would you do if you were in his position as you watch ships carrying needed goods being attacked, knowing that genocide against Gaza will continue as long as Bibi is in control (other than suspending their annual allowance in the millions)? It is he who needs to be wiped out....
I have stated many times here, Biden needs to do what Reagan did as a response to Israel bombing a refugee camp in Lebanon in the 80s. He got the Israeli PM on the phone and said knock it off, or the military aid we provide will come under serious scrutiny. Israel complied.
But we have to mean it. If Bibi ignored the threat, and he very well might, we have to be willing to turn off the spigot.
We have been playing Manichaean checkers in the Middle East, especially since the coup in Iran since ‘53, instead of chess.
““Strategic cooperation” in the Persian Gulf led to U.S.-Israeli agreement on prepositioning U.S. military weaponry and medical gear in Israel; the U.S. Sixth Fleet’s use of Israeli ports; and the formation of a committee to arrange joint military exercises. The Reagan administration even resumed the delivery of cluster bombs to the Israeli Defenses Forces (IDF); the Carter administration had stopped such deliveries because Israel was using these weapons illegally against civilians. The Reagan administration increased military assistance to Israel, and concluded a trade agreement with Israel that gave it preferential treatment.
Fast forward to the present, and we find the United States trying to pull Israeli chestnuts out of a genocidal fire that the IDF has set in Gaza. U.S. weapons are central to the bombing campaign against Gaza, which has killed more than 23,000 civilians, devastated the elementary infrastructure that exists there, and annihilated more than 200 aid workers and journalists, and in some case their entire families. It took the Israeli killing of three Israeli hostages to make the international community aware of Israel’s total disregard for human life. And now South Africa has taken the case of Israeli war crimes to the International Court of Justice at the Hague, which is one of the more incredible ironies of this miserable tragedy.”
Tom HIGH, the Houthi are fighting for Gaza by disrupting international commerce? Sounds like Terrorism to me. Chaos by non state pirates applied to ships not involved with Gaza
Your problem here, Dave, is that you have a propagandized, simplistic definition of terrorism.
Your inability to recognize American terrorism, by both military and diplomatic means, is what is twisted. Your pretzel is hurl worthy, but certainly not unique.
Excellent assessment, lin. We elect Presidents, and administrations. Sadly, we also elect Judges, and there are far too many "wing nuts" occupying seats where their black robes match their black hearts.
An apt point about what we choose when we elect a President, we elect an executive administration. To this I add, is that he or she is an executive charged with leading foremost into the future, not simply responding or pontificating about actions that are of concern at the kitchen table. Secretaries and Department heads are responsible for carrying out the implementation of our laws and serving the present needs of our citizens. Leadership requires men and women concerned with how the present will ensure safety and prosperity of the nation, not merely today, but on behalf of the next generations. It also requires they recognize what they can do and what they may merely influence, not control. To wit, Obama gave Trump a thriving economy, international standing, and an acceptable debt level, which he squandered, not to mention his handling of the Covid Pandemic or our international standing.
Where is Russia in all this? Except for passing reference to the UN Security Council abstention, there is no mention of Russia. I think it is unlikely in the extreme that Russia is content to be a spectator to events in the Middle East. I think it is just as unlikely that Russia isn’t doing all it can to re-install Trump in the White House and thus ham-string NATO.
Biden is wise to get the backing of the UN and many nations and to publicly and repeatedly warn the Houthis before military strikes. The glaring difference between his maturity and Trump’s destructive isolationism couldn’t be more apparent.
Putin is probably quietly supporting Iranian efforts with the H-Bros (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis). The American media eye-balls are now diverted to The Middle East and away from Ukraine, who needs our funding approved through the House. I see it as a slow-death move by Putin in his efforts to break Ukraine, and establish the march of fascism into Western Europe.
Russia is intensifying attack in Ukraine while the world's attention is diverted to the Middle East and US Republicans continue to block aid to Ukraine. Russia effing loves this M.E. conflict and actively runs disinformation campaigns to fan its flames.
We won’t have worldwide conflict if chump worms his way back in the WH. He will bow down to Putin (probably thinking that they will be partners) and cave on every issue. Any NATO coalition will be a thing of the past. The question is what will China do about that bromance? Of course, chump would be ditched in short order and the USA become a Russian satellite without Putin ever firing a shot.
I recognize that predictions are difficult, especially about the future (who said that), but chump has made his intentions clear often enough. Believe him and let’s ditch him before Putin puts him on a flight to nowhere.
Sometimes I wonder if I live in a different world from the MAGAts, and any Repub. it’s a no-brainer to me. And yes, I do question myself a lot, but the equation always equals 2 +2
If Biden loses, putin effectively controls Russia, Europe (with the disbanding of NATO), and the US. He will probably win India, creating a formidable stand against Xi in China. China gets to take Taiwan, and then moves against Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, the Southeast Asian countries. The establishment of shipping routes through the melting Arctic (because of manufactured opposition to climate change science/warnings), seems destined to then be Putin’s to control (Sorry Canada). Leave the Middle East to the religious extremists to implode. But we can be consoled to have a hard-right return to degrading white-christian-patriarchy/ militancy. The faux-christians keep saying “The Rapture” is coming. Could it be a spell-check error? Because is sound an awful lot more like “The Rupture” is coming.
Exactly, and chump will do it bigger and better. What a loser and empty suit. ugly cretin, as are his worshippers. Hope i live long enough to see him kicked to the curb, put out like the trash he is...
Tom seems to think that international affairs can be conducted as if we are all-seeing script writers with future plot-defining powers and complete information on all possible players and motivations. He also has one colonialism viewpoint that filters all information he does have, and he has a lot. But it's all hindsight information.
Knowledge of history IS important, but much of it only becomes widely known much later in time. Instead, leaders are put in difficult situations making decisions with incomplete information and little to no control over how other people respond. Eventually it all gets distilled into a cohesive narrative for our pattern-seeking brains. But until then, it's chaotic, imperfect , and highly emotionally charged.
People mostly make emotion-based decisions, not rational logic based ones. Emotions prod us into action. Reason moderates that action. That is why we must elect leaders who are able to moderate their feelings when making these decisions. Biden is doing that. Trump, and Netanyahu, are not.
Biden is making decisions based on American hegemony. Period.
Your first paragraph above is total crap, nothing but word salad; yet another ‘you don’t live in the real world’ centrist deflection from asking not whether policy is right or wrong, or moral, but rather, does it conform to the DC beltway consensus on foreign policy.
Much of American history becomes known later because it is covered up due to the understanding by operatives and elected officials in the loop that it is mendacious in intent. American ‘leaders’, whether you’re talking about Biden or Trump, do what the ‘intelligence’ agencies and the MIC want.
There is nothing, nothing, nothing, rational or logical about making the decision to be complicit in a genocide by using some absurd rules-based order or geopolitical reasoning.
You ‘seem’ to think it’s regrettable, but OK, and it’s a reprehensible rationalization to make.
James, anytime I run into an “either/or” or “black/white” pontificator, I think of my days as a negotiator and remember that for a successful result, both sides walk away with something that they want, something they had to give away; pissed off because they had to give something away, but satisfied that they got some of what they wanted
Tom, in previous columns you list all the evils you say were done to the Palestinians. You take every opportunity to do that even if that's not the issue under discussion. Are you saying that Israel should stop existing? Where should all those Israeli citizens go?
I want the Gaza war to end now, too. I also want Hamas to never launch rockets into Israel like it has been doing almost weekly since the took over the Gaza strip after Israeli unilaterally left that area in 2005. I want a 2 state solution.
I want peace, and for the Palestinians not to be oppressed by Israel.
The more I study this issue, the more I come to the conclusion that peace and Zionism are incompatible. Israel has two choices here: Either allow the Palestinians their own autonomous state, by giving up land and territory seized post-‘67 war, or reject the Zionist requirement that Israel be a Jewish state, and have a one-state democracy with the possibility the Palestinians might one day have a political majority.
Should Israel reject both options, yes, I believe it has no right to exist, and continue to oppress the Palestinians via second-class citizenship, apartheid, herding people into an open-air prison/concentration camp, and currently, ethic cleansing and genocide.
And should that happen, the Israeli citizens can go wherever they want, unlike the confined people of Gaza.
What you're really saying is either create a Palestinian state or dissolve Israel. In the first case, there will be no peace because nothing will change. In the second case, Israel will disappear and the territory will be fought over by the surrounding hostile theocratic countries, the worst solution of all, solving nothing. Israel's substantial contribution to modern civilization will be wiped out. The first case might work if Palestinians and their allies embrace democracy, denounce theocracy, and categorically declare Israel's right to exist; I put the odds of that at about zero. The second case must not be allowed to happen. Your understanding of history is wanting, Tom. How old are you?
So Israel isn’t a theocratic country? Israel doesn’t embrace democracy, either. Your understanding of history is worse than wanting, it is flawed.
Your statement that the creation of a Palestinian state will result in no peace because nothing will change is one of the stupidest statements I’ve heard on this issue.
Israel is a secular democracy. The creation of the Palestinian state will probably happen. It will take many many years for things to improve, if things go well. Of course, it's a much greater problem than just these two peoples. If Israel becomes a theocracy, then I would agree that it should not exist as such. But that is not likely. I guess I could have assumed you weren't some college kid; after all, Chomsky has a lot of years on him, too.
Although, at the moment the United Nations is the primary international body we have for coordination among the nations on this planet, it is stymied by a type of governance that was created as a compromise, allowing a few nations on the security council an ordinate power over international action. NATO on the other hand can back up it’s beliefs in world order with military action. Although the term “world government“ is anathema to some, I think this is a time we need to at least conceptualize a better forum with more potential to utilize force to keep rogue nations in line.
Donald Trump, if elected president once again, will take actions that will only increase the chaos happening on this planet. Just the possibility of him and the fascist minded Republicans that he leads undercuts any faith in support from the United States in the future for world peace.
The Trump administration does not really care about future world peace, they only care about themselves as individuals who are grabbing as much power and wealth as possible. It would be most unfortunate if the United States misutilizes its leadership powers to promote the agenda of fascism worldwide.
1. Israel faces an existential crisis as soon as the U.S. "aid spigot" gets cut off for whatever reason (including possible American political or economic crisis).
2. Any viable solution must enable Israel to be secure without constant infusions of American aid.
3. This requires peace with Israel’s neighbors, including Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
4. This requires undoing the Nakba terrorist atrocity and withdrawing to the U.N.-mandated pre-1948 borders.
5. This can only be done in the context of peaceful economic integration throughout the region, for the benefit of all. A lasting peace must be guaranteed individually by each permanent member of the U.N. Security council, and endorsed by Israel’s neighbors.
6. The recent Hamas atrocities were sparked by provocations (yet again) at the Temple Mount. The dream of rebuilding the Temple of Herod must be given up and replaced by the will to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in its correct location.
Israel should have been established as a sanctuary country for all oppressed peoples, not just Jews. To create a country for the exclsive benefit of one specific ethnoreligious group in a region where that group is a minuscule minority is to doom it to exist in a state of never ending conflict.
No. 4 isn't going to happen. Netenyahu needs to go, along with his far tight patriarchal government. The Israeli's chose not to be a ally to Ukraine so they wouldn't piss off Russia. How has that worked out for Israel? Qatar and Saudi Arabia are not great allies to the US, but they have been more helpful in Gaza than Israel. And why aren't the taking care of the Houthis? It is in their interest to keep the Red Sea clear of conflict.
Maybe TFFG should go negotiate with Hamas and Israel. He always says he can negotiate everything in a day. /S
In my assessment, point #4 is the absolute prerequisite for Israel to exist without an endless lifeline if U.S. military aid in a hostile environment prone to nuclear proliferation.
In other words, No. 4 is a prerequisite for Israeli survival.
Israel treats the Arabs and Christians in the "expanded" territories like dogs. I wish the borders would revert to 1948, but I don't see Israel ever relinquishing these territories especially if the next leaders are hardliners like the current Israeli government.
I think the Palestinians and Arab states could make a return to the ‘67 borders work, but the Israelis would still balk, and their lobby owns America, so there you go.
Your point 6, correction: Al-Aqsa, surely. Or, more broadly, the area which Muslims call Al Haram as Sharif and others, the Temple Mount. Could you clarify your final sentence?
"Asmodiel was under the impression that it would be able to wait and have the opportunity to reestablish the Hebrew Temple. However, with the empire decreasing in strength, there was no ability to reestablish the temple under the newly Christian empire’s dominion. Asmodiel decided to wait until the empire had fallen, and then to reestablish a temple in Jerusalem that would be independent. Asmodiel was dedicated to this idea, but it knew that it would have to create a new religion, because the temple’s priests and traditions no longer existed."
Well, at least we found an issue in front of the UN security council that even China and Russia implicitly support (for their lack of the usual veto): COMMERCE. Human rights? Not so much.
The late author of novels on international criminality would spot Iran as key to the hatreds pushing the three H's: Houthi, Hamas, Hezbollah. Why have Xi's China and Putin's Russia backed off from full support for Iran and its larger agenda? Without John Grisham anymore, we can't tell.
Can anyone rein in Netanyahu and his far-right settlers? Can any combination of Arab states underwrite some decency for Palestinians which Israel can agree to -- even with its proliferating far-right aggravators?
Key is schools. Any civilized arrangement here must include the region's schools as central to learning, practicing, essaying humane conversation.
Leave out the schools, and we're as bereft as we already are without John Grisham.
Unfortunately, our own nation is in jeopardy of becoming a "rogue nation" if the republican fascists continue to threaten and overpower us. We need our government and military to rattle our own extremists a bit in backing off their threats of civil war in order to protect us and our democracy. There. I said it.
We need to speak more loudly with our power. We are way too passive. I wondered why the people being herded into cattle cars in pre-WWII were so passively going along with the herding. I vowed as a nine year old I would never allow fascists to do that to me. Never did I think it could get this close. I want our country to protect us and honor all those who died for our freedoms.
Completely disagree about force ie all the people, men, women and children slaughtered in Gaza by Netanyahu. Killing a perceived enemy does not give anyone the right to slaughter a population of a different religion.
The Middle East is an historical cauldron of bubbling resentments and antagonisms that has been the graveyard of well-intentioned peacemakers.
The Islamic split between Sunni and Shiite in the 8th century still echoes in the role of Iran and even Bahrain in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
The current highlighting of the Houthis is another Middle Eastern ‘back burner’ that has become a front liner. I recall, when I was working in the Middle East in the 1950s, that an Arab scholar said to me “If you relish the 15th century, focus on Yemen.”
Yemen has been a rather isolated, splintered ‘country’ for many centuries. (For a nanosecond, in the 1950s, it was part of an association including Egypt and Syria, which swiftly disintegrated.)
In the 2010s Yemen was shaken by a struggle between northern and southern Yemenite tribes. A group including the Houthis (supported by Iran) seized control of the capital and other areas.
Mohamed bin Salman, with American support, sought to crush the Houthis. This included massive air bombardment and military action that killed many Yemenite citizens. One might say that Yemen became MBS’s ‘Vietnam.’ The Houthis ‘rebels’ controlled a significant area and MBS found it difficult to disengagement (especially with the Saudi-Iran rivalry).
Ultimately there was a precarious cease fire. Several years ago the Houthis launched rockets that damaged Saudi oil refineries. Most recently they are using rockets and drones, as well as armed terrorists in small boats, to disrupt shipping in the vital channel in southern Yemen that is a choke point for shipping coming from Iran as well as Suez Canal shipping.
There has been a long history of attacks against shipping along the Middle East/African coast. A US-led coalition has just attacked Houthi done and missile bases. It is unclear whether this will diminish Houthi attacks on shipping. Nor is it certain that the Houthis may not again strike Saudi petroleum production.
WELCOME TO ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN IMBROGLIO!
Keith, I very much appreciate your depth of experience and “long view” about these matters that most of us barely ken. What an extraordinary career/life you have led!
Barbara I delight in the insights of your and other perceptive subscriber commentaries.
Generally, I link my commentaries to whatever Heather highlights. Since ‘economics’ is not her thing, I haven’t had the occasion to draw on my experience of creating international bond ratings, doing the sovereign ratings personally, and then being Moody’s EVP responsible for all domestic and global tax related bonds.
That doesn’t provide me special insight into today’s finances. For that I rely heavily on Paul Krugman.
Paul Krugman, as a young Yale post grad, was part of a macroeconomics ER Team invited to Portugal to make macro repairs. Paul is still hitting on all cylinders in his NYT column yesterday.
Bryan As a MIT Sloan Fellow, I had some insight into MIT economic profs. Many years ago Paul Krugman was considered 2nd fiddle to Lester Thurow. Lester was a PR phenomenon, while Krugman was in a back water.
Lester was WRONG on all his big ideas. In 1989, for example, he and Heibroner wrote that the soviet economic system was on a relative part with that of America.
Krugman has an extraordinary ego, but he merited a Nobel and is my economic anchor to windward.
Keith, your post with your historical context is sorely needed on the platform today.
Buried in the discourse has been a new element of a deadly supply of "ballistic missiles".apparently, North Korean war technology.
The US Dept of State has identified the key individual involved in this deadly international trade. See Dept of State alerts.since 1/3/24. for a comprehensive overview.
The list of the belligerents is much broader & not limited to "Yemen to Lebanon" much less a single actor.
Your posts are important now more than ever. Thank you.
“ 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.
As others have mentioned, to have leaders that speak well on the international stage rather than bombast and “a sea of blood will flow” type talk is priceless beyond measure.
Yes, 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??
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.
Just to be clear, I am in no way connected to Putin outside of wishing he had some pics of Trump visiting Russia to release.
I am, on the other hand, connected to my own sad reading and study post retirement that has made me understand my own country, the USA, ever so much better than I did before when I had no time to learn any history.
Mike, it is very sobering and angst-filled to realize one’s “idol” (or idealistic image) actually has feet of clay. In some ways tho’ it can be liberating to see the real deal (true history) and be accountable for it and try to move forward with way less hubris as a nation. Was it in the 70’s or 80’s that “consciousness raising” (not a bad thing!) was all the rage? To be more conscious of our actions/impact (consequences) is, I think, a good thing….maybe we should pay more attention to it!
Mine was Vietnam…my first protests…in the late 60’s & early 70’s. Lost friends there & others came back forever changed….how could you not be; other male friends & acquaintances left the country to avoid the draft. On another note, is at that time the (still stalled after all these years) passage of the ERA was on the front burner….had fellow college students tell me that if it passed then women could be drafted. My response was “fair is fair”, even tho I considered myself (still do) a pacifist & opposed the war. Whoa, trip down memory lane!
We could add Vietnam, the counter productive American aggressions in Afghanistan, and esp Iraq, which gave rise to ISIS in the first place. "rules based order".... yes, ironies abound. No apologies mind you for taking military action against the Houthi actions in international waters.
Mike, you and I are in complete synch when it comes to the stupid stuff America has done. The list is long. "Remember the Maine"? It goes back to so many events. We actually created Castro's communist Cuba!
But since we are here now, what do we do? I posit that we have no choice but to show strength in the face of the current "Axis of Evil" (I shuddered when I used that phrase).
The three "H"s = Iran = Russia = MAGA
All four are aligned to destroy what little democracy still exists in the West.
Mike Actually the Shah was installed in 1941 to replace his dad, who seemed pro Hitler. Regarding the 1953 coup against Mohammed Mossadeq, the Shah had fled to Rome. Under Kermit Roosevelt CIA initiated a coup—which failed! Then General Zahedi (sp?), separate from CIA, initiated his own coup, CIA claimed credit, and the Shah returned.
Ironically, Dick Helms, the former CIA director, was ambassador in Iran during the 1970s.
I was responsible for sovereign bond ratings at Moody’s in 1975. Iran, with a massive balance of trade surplus after the 1973 oil spike, sought rating of a $1,000,000,000.
I told them if they applied for a long-term bond, I would rate them below investment grade. I wonder why my savvy, as opposed to that of the US government, saved investors a billion $$$.
Christopher and Mike, you are accurate with your assessments. Our meddling and manipulation in the affairs of other governments in the 20th Century and into the 21st has not set us up well going forward from here.
Yes Ally, but there's a difference. Mike S has a bee in his bonnet about the legasy of American imperialism and deals with his guilt by using every opportunity to disparage and run down the USA.
On the other hand, I am simply pointing out the link between this allied attack on the Houthis and the invasion of the Ukraine.
(I'm English so I know a bit about imperialism and anachronistic guilt)
Think the US HAD to respond….. the NEXT counter response from Iranian ‘factions’ is critical…are we on an ‘escalation’ path? We will know pretty soon….a very unsettling recent ‘fact’ is the impending starvation of a couple million Palestinians left in Gaza…..
Editor’s note: This story contains a photograph with graphic content.
More than half a million people in Gaza — a quarter of the population — are starving, according to a report Thursday by the U.N. and other agencies that highlights the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s bombardment and siege on the territory in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
The extent of the population’s hunger eclipsed even the near-famines in Afghanistan and Yemen of recent years, according to figures in the report. The report warned that the risk of famine is “increasing each day,” blaming the hunger on insufficient aid entering Gaza.
“It doesn’t get any worse,″ said Arif Husain, chief economist for the U.N.’s World Food Program. “I have never seen something at the scale that is happening in Gaza. And at this speed.”
Joan, the trauma and decimation of the people in Gaza is heart wrenching and bone chilling. I know I’m being a Pollyanna when I have visions of fleets of transport helicopters fanning out across the area in unending waves to bring needed food, water, medical help, etc.; no need for (generally) passable roads if relief can be airlifted in. It is SO hard to be a witness a world away and feel so helpless in the face of such desperate need.
Your last sentence is a keeper. I have felt such about Uganda, Sarajevo, Cambodia, on and on. I was helpless then as suffering was unbearable to watch. Yet we have to depend on elected officials to act for us. Sometimes we help, sometimes we make it worse. Chump would be as “worse” as we could possibly imagine. I won’t go there…
I don't understand Prof. Cox Richardson's uncritical support for Biden's atrocious unconditional support of Israel. Yes, I want Biden to defeat Trump (all thinking people do), and yet his administration is complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, which is rapidly turning into a genocidal campaign, as the numbers of dead (currently at 23,000) will quickly spike as disease and famine take hold.
In other words, one can believe both things - that Biden will be better than Trump, AND Biden deserves criticism for his policy about Israel. Pulling out of Afghanistan was a demonstration of wisdom and courage. Providing unconditional support and aid to Israel, including weapons, will put Biden on the wrong side of history, and may well cost him the election - as the Arab vote in Michigan is gone and the energy of the under-30s, which was crucial in 2020, is diminished.
Adam President Biden is WRONG in his tacit (and actual) support of Israel’s massive killings and starvation in Gaza. As a former Foreign Service Officer who spent years boots on the ground in the Middle East (visited Palestinian refugees in Gaza in 1953), I am appalled by the official US stance.
We can not ask people to be concerned about Putin’s killing of citizens in Ukraine, while we ignore Israel’s killing and starving many many more civilians in Gaza.
Nonsense. Putin is a fascist dictator invading the sovereign democratic state of Ukraine without legal cause; his war crimes are obvious. We all agree on that. Israel, however, is a secular democratic state that has been incessantly attacked by criminal theocratic mass murders intent on the destruction of Israel since 1948; the same theocratic murderers have attacked and killed thousands of citizens in virtually all western democratic states for decades. While Israel's response may include war crimes violations to be investigated, there is no comparison between Israel and Russia, except a false equivalence, which is the touchstone of mindless far-left anarchists like Noam Chomsky, for whom all states are terrorist organizations.
Harvey, all one needs to “get him” is to see the vid of him shoving his way to the front of the gathering of world leaders…chin jutting, adjusting his tie and jacket for the photo op…what a self-satisfied dweeb & is how he approached international concerns (all about me me me).
Yes, when the world saw that "move" they knew the world, not just the US was heading down a dangerous path. And did the GOP step up to the plate to fix that? Hell no! They jumped on board because they had their "Incredible Hulk*" leading the way!
*Apologies to The real Incredible Hulk, he's green! And I'm not familiar with his character but isn't he a "good guy"? Certainly the "Orange Hulk" is not that!!!
That's about all Diplomacy can accomplish (well done Blinken and the allied Foreign Secretaries), before "the shootin" has to start. I am certainly interested in why Saudi was again missing from the allied ranks. They have been fighting there for a long time.
Japan Times says: "The main reason for its absence appears to be a concern that participating would detract from a long-term strategic goal: extricating itself from a messy war in Yemen and a destructive feud with the Houthis' principal backer, Iran." Hmmm, great ally along with the UAE. Kind of like Mango Muffin and the Bribe Boy Kushner.
Bruce…lol “Mango Muffin and Bribe Boy”. Perfecto!!! I recently saw someone (Bronwyn as I recall) on another SubStack regarding TFFG’s penchant for being a dictator called him “your Heinous”. So apt!
I go on Medicare this year. Not to be a shill but videos/articles from a group called Medicare school,com (intentional comma) have been a great in understanding the farce of advantage plans. I’d been alerted previously by friends in the medical field.
I had heard rumblings. When I hit 65 last year, I had talked to a lot of my fellow law enforcement retirees. While almost all of us that fully (or at least mostly) retired from working started collecting SS at 62 (life expectancy, post retirement, isn't very high, although it is better than it was a generation ago) a fair handful went on the Oregon PERS Plan, which is a Medicare Advantage Plan, and all touted it as a very easy plan to deal with.
I consulted with two friends (locally) who recommended an agency who, while basically an independent insurance agency, specialized in retirement issues. Of all the Advantage Plans available, the PERS one was the best, and after careful review and conversation, we decided to go with Medicare and a Supplemental plan. The relief expressed by the agent (who had been absolutely "non-partisan" in her presentation was palpable. She said that while the PERS plan worked well, it was only if you were basically healthy and did not plan to leave Oregon. I do not have a good track record, mostly from deteriorating joints (thank you 30+years of sheriffin' and 40 years of athletic play/officiating) and internal parts that decide to do various things that aren't pleasant and require removal, plus a cancer history. We also plan to travel.
PERS = Public Employees Retirement System, which was a great thing until the judicial and legislative branches in Oregon voted themselves in and ruined it with bizarre laws and rulings that were patently self-serving.
Blue Roots, my friends…longtime Medicare recipients by now, had a breakfast gathering w/ retired compatriots and the subject of Medicare vs Medicare Advantage came up. One fellow said he had Medicare & showed us his “card”….we said no that’s not a Medicare card. Seems he thought he’d signed up for “traditional” Medicare, but he had actually signed up for an Advantage plan instead. Thing is, if it works for you, great. BUT it has to be clear and explained accurately so folks can make informed decisions. I do not like the obfuscation of this issue….money/profit is, of course, involved in this, so is hard to control/call out. We need to do better!
The problem is to identify what is a terrorist organization correct?
For example, the USA terrorized Afghan Civilians for 20 years for no reason at all. Right? Not a single Afghan citizen participated in 9-11 on any plane.
All of the participants were Saudi Citizens (except maybe one who was not Afghan).
Did we invade Saudi Arabia? NO! They have oil. We invaded a poor country without any real military. And terrorized the civilians there for 20 YEARS. We created more than 200,000 dead civilian bodies who never did anything to hurt any American.
Unless I am mistaken Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis are recognized terrorist organizations. This was not a comment on the US behavior in the earlier conflict you mention. I was not in favor of our behavior in the war you mention.
Thank you.
It is so nice to have a sane adult in the White House instead of an insecure toddler. . . . .
True,
But, is it not tragic that the only news we all see is about Trump? My google news feed, Lester Holt on the nightly news, my wife's facebook feed?
All about Trump.
The only time I learn what Biden is doing is right here on this HCR letter page.
America loves Trump (and money) so much that nobody can report on the boring, rational, meticulous actions of Joe Biden. That does not sell ad space and get clicks.
But, Trump's crazy DOES get clicks so ? All of America knows when Trump dumps in his pants again (which apparently happens routinely now).
The only news about Trump is without analysis, just parroting back what he says. Apparently the journalists are afraid to do their jobs too. No news about Biden, but when the WSJ says the economy is good, they don't mention Biden or Bidenomics. I only read about Biden when they find something to criticize. Our oligarch owned mainstream news media is just telling more of THE BIG LIE.
Linda, I fear there IS logic behind what the MSM cover and it devolves into what captures eyeballs and ears for their advertisers. Biden's accomplishments are complex, detailed and often subtle (until he strikes militarily) and require some concentration to understand, not attributes the MSM (except perhaps PBS sometimes) are known to play to. MSM play to the lowest common denominator because it makes them more money by reaching more eyes and ears. And in the end, they operate in a capitalist system where the bottom line rules (in more ways than one). Unless we can find more effective ways to balance the voracious appetites of capitalism with sensible regulation and laws protecting "we the people" the more likely we will be doomed to more and more of the stuff which feeds those with the most money already.
If they just reported the news rather than having glitzy opinion shows about selected news stories, it would be a great service to the public and keep us in practice processing to our own conclusions. What we get is pre-digested "entertainment". I miss Walter Cronkite!
"until he strikes militarily"
Thank you for mentioning this. Why can Biden continue to help Israel, with & without the approval of Congress, but so much is made of the Houthis helping Palestine? Why don't we have a CEASE FIRE and stop all of this?? Isn't it a political problem (now with so many 1,000's dead), going back to before 1948? Thank goodness South Africa had the courage to step in.
They are not helping Palestine at all. They are only one of a huge network of terrorist organizations aiming to cause terror and instability. They have been active far before the October 7 Hamas attack. And make no mistake, it is impossible to negotiate with these types of organizations. Cast your mind back to horrific bombings all over the world, London, Paris, Mumbai etc. There is no end game but terror and destruction.
Exactly.
I suspect "we" don't have a cease-fire precisely and expressly because of groups like the Houthis, HAMAS, Hezbollah, and the other non-state actors, backed by anti-Israel governments, who act to keep Israel and any country that wants to use the Med near Israel or the Suez Canal/Red Sea in danger from attacks. You realize they do this intentionally to prevent or delay a cease-fire; their goal clearly appears to be greater destabilization, a wider war, in order to bring the country of Israel to an end, and they seem to be willing to sacrifice as many lives as possible to accomplish that end. Any more than Putin cannot be permitted to end Ukraine as a country, these anti-Israel actors, whether governments or non-state actors, cannot be permitted to end Israel as a country. (I won't speak about Netanyahu's and Israel's governments' unspeakable acts which are at least partly responsible for the overall situation, but in my view, Israel, as much as Ukraine, has the right to exist as an independent country.)
"anti-Israel governments" -- Putin -- all the turmoil is a gift for Putin to strain the West resources and perseverance. Anything to hurt the West/Ukraine/the U.S. helps Putin et al.
Well said, Lynn.
I dont get it either, Beverly - 23,000 and counting of civilians (since the Israeli government only claims Hamas dead) Its past time for the US and other countries to come together & stop supporting Netanyahu's war.
I've written to the WH and to my senators & repres. Are they listening?
Agreed! Netanyahu needs to be replaced before we support Israel anymore.
I understand Israel's need to respond to the Hamas attacks of Oct. 7th, but what the IDF is doing to the Palestinian civilian population is abhorrent and clearly a war crime. The Israeli government says that they are trying to protect Palestinian civilians, but we are not seeing that. Civilians are told to move to the south for instance and then they get bombed when they get there. The Biden administration is complicit in this slaughter by only "urging" Israel to protect civilians, but not actually doing anything of substance that would result in their protection. We hear about the cooperation of other countries in striking the Houthis, but where is our country's cooperation when it comes to virtually every other country in the world calling for a cease fire?
Profit before all else -- our democracy included. Perhaps Congress should look into expanding the scope of the FCC to apply regulations regarding the distribution of false information to cable channels, including the Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, and others. Too bad (for us) that Congress is too busy fiddling while Rome burns.
And THAT "lowest common denominator" is why so much of the news and so-called entertainment consists of reality(??) shows, commercials & the dumpster!
Why "influencers" are yet another form of reality. People who dont appear to have any form of talent or ability to do anything but generate clicks. Yet they make thousands if not millions of dollars & influence our children.
Voracious appetites of capitalism describes it perfectly, John!
Business of any kind is no longer about providing a service. It is simply about the money. If companies could figure out how to print money without actually doing anything, nothing of value would ever be produced again. And if some public company went against the grain and decided to continue satisfying customers, their stock would fall and their management would be voted out at the next stockholder's meeting.
Sometime around the 1980s, when the concept of "shareholder value" was elevated to mythic status, we stopped being an economy centered on providing goods and services. Ever since then, our economy has simply been measured by generating the largest possible amount of money. If you want an explanation for why the MSM sacrifices accuracy for eyeballs and clicks, or why car companies stop making the kinds of cars people want to buy, look no further.
I agree except that one of the big differences between big business/corporations, and small businesses, is that small businesses often/usually prioritize quality and customer service over profit. Look at any small business in your town or city and compare it to a like business in the corporate sector--small smashburger business vs. McDonalds for instance. The cost of the small will probably be more, but quality of everything (including ambiance) will probably be higher/greater. Until said business is swallowed by a larger, profit-oriented group. Allowing/encouraging this kind of business model may have been good for acquisition of more/cheaper goods at the expense of true entrepreneurship that most of us probably appreciate has been part of the march toward shoddiness of everything in our world.
What is MSM?
Main Stream Media
Look into Meidas Touch News on YouTube.
Yes, and Brian Tyler Cohen/No Lie, Judd Legum/Popular Information, and of course, our own Heather Cox Richardson. There are some great voices trying to scream truth into the void that is the "media" but they are too few. We might all breathe easier with a complete media blackout on Trump except a simple daily update on his various legal issues reported factually and without opinion.
I find that I am getting most of my analysis of USA news from Substacks. I also appreciate the Guardian. I subscribe to Popular Information, but not No Lie. I do read Jay Kuo, Joyce Vance, Thom Hartmann, Robert Hubbell, Tim Mak, Aaron Ruper and many others, as well as Carnegie News, Olear, The Lever, ProPublica, The Intercept, The Volt, Liz Dye, Noah Berlatsky, Meduza, The Beet, and others.
I follow a handful of the same folks you follow. Thinking about adding Jay Kuo; his name has come up a bunch recently.
That is a lot to read....but I hear you and find in the midst of all the MSM chaos reporting, these are voices steering the right course. I add Ruth Ben-Ghiat and Timothy Snyder (altho they do analysis), Jennifer Rubin.
Linda, the problem with the news today is people can choose the reality they hear. Each of these many great substacks has an angle and people like it or they go somewhere else. Much in the news is not to be liked. I can remember as a child being annoyed because every night at dinner time all the main networks reported the news (no cable at the time; just ABC, CBS, and NBC). They all said pretty much the same thing, just the facts without sarcasm and disdain. Regular programming came back at prime time. Everyone was informed and up to speed (mostly). Now with 500 channels to compete with, the shiniest objects get the viewers and the advertising income.
When do you sleep, eat, etc.?
I also read ongaza.org (NB point #9 on Zionist lies), Electronic Intifada and Al Jazeera to hear the other side.
Thanks for the additional references to check into Linda!
I actually try not to click on any mainstream links with Trump in them. I do not want to contribute to the attention.
You are probably a neighbor of my son who works at UW Mad. Lots of UW professors in his neighborhood. He just sent a pic of the snow in the yard. Postcardesque. Stay warm.
I find it's much healthier to READ the news. When you remove the audio it's one aspect of your limbic system that is less vulnerable to outside influence. Look at the adjectives and you'll see the biased, "spin" words jump out at you.
Wouldnt that be nice and restful for all of us?
Thanks for the reference. I believe my husband watches that. He is getting much more news from Youtube than I do. I am more likely to read my news, although I do watch German nightly news on ARD and ZDF from time to time.
Make sure to research the news source you are watching on UTube. There are so called legitimate news sources that are sponsored by Authoritarian governments.
Like Epoch Times.
Welcome to capitalism, Corp Media is here to make more money on both sides, Trump is there biggest money maker
Yup.
True and another thing that annoys me is all the negatives the media sees fit to attach to every mention of President Biden. Axios ran an article about a Harris Poll concerning American’s attitudes toward the economy. Their conclusion: (paraphrasing) How Americans feel about the economy “could sink Biden in the fall.”
It is up to the Democratic chair and the Democratic party to aggressive in getting the message out to the American people. Most of the media is bought and paid for by billionaires and corporations who support Trump.
All the coverage TFG gets is to his advantage because he operates under the lessons from Roy Cohn.
#1: All publicity is good regardless of how negative it is.
#2: When attacked attacked back harder. When sued counter sue for more.
#3: NEVER apologize.
#4: Whatever happens claim victory.
#5: You do not have to believe what you say.
MAGA operates on those 5 lessons.
I have heard of Cohn, who was apparently some criminal in NY (never in jail one minute) that mentored Trump, but, never knew his "rules".
Looks like he knew the American landscape very, very well. Must have learned from Trump's Nazi and KKK member father.
Mike, Cohn was Joseph McCarthy’s lawyer.
He was also an attorney for the NY mob and Trump’s mentor.
It would be worth your time to investigate the reprehensible Roy Cohn. It helped me understand tfg's origins.
Mike, There is a documentary " Where's My Roy Kohn", it was on PBS or HBO. Excellent!
Heather. Thank you.
Hope you watch it, I really enjoyed it. Like a junkyard dog with a bone.
You see how Trump would idolize this man.
Trump is always angry. He is always attacking someone, especially those who confront his lies, and he always implies that there will be a violent response. And his followers get the message. So far, there have been thousands of threats but few actual attacks. That could change quickly. So far, no consequences from any court, just appeals, delays, and foolish claims.
I don’t understand with all the threats Trump makes against the courts, judges , election workers, why he is not in jail. There were gag orders which he violates without consequence. Even a bomb threat against Judge Engoron’s home yesterday before Trump appeared in his court. And nothing????
It remains mind-boggling how he has ALWAYS gotten away with all his misdeeds. But now his comeuppance is nearing, and he's lashing out, and I suppose the judges are giving him leeway so that their rulings can't be challenged as being partisan or whatever.
But they will be judged as partisan anyways no matter how much they give him extra special treatment
It scares me to think he wants a jury trial.....are there enough people that don't have and opinion to be a juror? I believe in truth and law and to me it is clear cut....he is guilty!
That threat is likely getting attention.
The FBI should be on those threats.
Scary, SAD and true 😬
As always, the good stuff Biden does gets no coverage. Trump gets free advertising.
It's maddening, isn't it?
Truly. Our state GOP is in disarray and difficult to deal with.
I blame the algorithms!
The fact that tfg HAS to be the lead news headline, that he made sure he was always in front of the camera, that instead of listening to the daily briefing he prefers to call in to his favorite propaganda network and ramble for an hour - instead of ACTUALLY DOING ANY WORK WORTH REPORTING ABOUT.
His middle-of-the-night Tweets used to be the thing people awoke to each morning,
usually with a sense of dread. "What fresh hell is this we will be facing today?"
No wonder there is a mental health crisis in the USA!
I recommend all news begin with an outline of FACTS,
perspective on actions proposed for solutions by experts*,
and only then - a one sentence statement
of how DJT has NO sane contribution to the discussion,
and/or how his ranting and volatility would have deepened the CRISIS.
QUIT LETTING HIM SPIN EVENTS with his eternal LIES.
"Every accusation is a confession." He is the master of PROJECTION.
*"Proposed solutions" specifically to contrast the GOP and MAGA tactics to "poison the well."
They are always and only complaining - when in fact, they are doing ALL they can to block, hinder, or oppose resolving any situation or crisis.
Their plan is to stir up fear, anger and despair.
They then can push their authoritarian Project 2025.
In the end, this will put unqualified and unethical rich white men in charge and control of everyone else's lives.
"If you don't have a seat at the table, you are probably on the menu."
You are absolutely correct--I watch the BBC for news.
Thank you, Linda. I listen to the BBC and read The Guardian for news.
My husband has done the same for years. The BBC has so much more world news than we see on the major networks here.
Subscribe to Robert Hubbell’s substack. Every day he tells us the truth about Biden’s successes. @roberthubbell
I don't watch the news because it's not mentally and emotionally healthy for me. I'm sick of this "condemn" routine. That's as useless as me shooting my Nerf gun against the wall to relieve my anger. We need to stop using our words when they draw first blood.
Stations used to be required to run news programs, and not for a profit. They were expected to be fair. That was one of the costs of doing business if you wanted to show your programming.
And we had this thing called the Fairness Doctrine. Reagan abolished it in 1987.
Then we decided that EVERYTHING needed to be monetized and voila, here we are.
You can't get BBCworld service news? My smart speaker plays it all night long, allowing me to wake up without having Trump sh*t filling my head. You have choices, you just have to stop being so passive.
The Kardashians and a seemingly endless flow of “influencers” get a lot of coverage too. You can find Biden and Biden Administration coverage if you look for it. The campaign is just now starting. It may be that some of Trump’s coverage in 90 days may be a guilty verdict in a criminal trial.
Somehow this has to change!
It's so tiring, isn't it?
Yes it is. The mainstream media is doing their very best to get back their golden goose. I hear that Madonna is the source of the wisdom "There's no such thing as bad publicity." In 2016 the media gave Trump a name recognition he never formerly had except in high society snobs and New York, even though they did it through bad publicity. 2024 appears to to be a repeat of 2016. If movers and shakers didn't want Trump, they would black him out like they did Sanders in 2016. Movers and shakers surely would rather we talked about "Trump" than demand to talk about issues.
an insecure toddler. . The kindness pejorative I've seen.
"Insecure toddler" might better describe the entire GOP party for how can they all support this narcissistic conman in good conscience? They are weak, insecure, scared to defy him, not only to their detriment but to loyal Republican supporters and the American people caught up in their evil plan.
George Cravens,
I agree....but look and see the damage a "toddler" can do. This behavior will escalate if not firmly and consistently addressed. If not corrected, this behavior gives permission to other "toddlers". They leave a path of disaster with delight....not remorse.
True, Biden is a sane adult, a person who is not propelled by religious beliefs to annihilate another who holds different religious views. Imagine a world without religious dogma. If that could be the case, women could enjoy equal rights and status here in the U.S. and in the Muslim countries. Instead, females are treated as mere chattels. An Ohio grand jury has just declined to indict Brittany Watts, the 34-year-old woman charged with abusing a corpse after experiencing a miscarriage at home. Trump knows that his base is composed of white Protestant racists and plays that chord constantly. I call them the American Taliban. With six Roman Catholics on the U.S. Supreme Court, women's rights are at great risk.
Roman Catholics are a significant part of the Religious Right and are probably the brains of the group.
Roughly half of the Catholics voted for Trump.
Justice Sotomayor is not of the same ilk as the Catholic conservative judges. Note that Leonard Leo, the Catholic former(?) head of the Federalist Society who selected most of the conservatives, has all the earmarks of an integralist - he wants the country run according to (conservative) Catholic doctrine.
What a shame that this sane adult in the White House has to slog through so much muck.
That is an insult to toddlers everywhere.
The orange baby balloon has taken on additional meaning after confirmation of his diapers and stench.
George, that is too perfect. Thank you!
Intelligent, sane, reasoned responses are made by the Biden Administration every day. How boring! The vindictive, irrational decisions made by a man who is clearly losing it is much more interesting. No wonder Trump gets all the attention: Mad men are truly more capable of attracting attention.
Yep. Will do!
When we vote for a presidential ticket, we elect an executive administration.
Joe Biden's picks have been based on allegiance to democratic principles and ability to carry them out in national and international policy. To care for the general welfare and national security. These are parlous times. They call for considered action.. If nothing else - and there is much else - having Anthony Blinken as Secretary of State was worth the vote.
While some might prefer the immediate gratification of bombast and belligerence, of unilateral proclamations and ultimatums, those are as antithetical to diplomacy as they are to any other function of good governance. The choice between Trump or Biden, between Republican or Democratic administrations, in diplomacy as elsewhere, is the choice between grievance and violence or truth and reconciliation. As we can see in the difference between the Democratic lead Senate and the Republican lead House, it is a difference between achieving comity or provoking chaos. And it is our choice. To unite for the better opportunity of achieving our shared goals. Or not.
For all those naysayers who talk about Joe Biden’s age, we present The Administration- a well organized collection of experts who know how to navigate in their respective fields. They can present the issues, relay responses, and give real scenarios to inform the POTUS of his options.
Compare that with Trump’s cabinet - a bunch of rich toadies who were more interested in their Oval Office picture than tackling the issues that faced America and its standing in the world.
Jane: Absolutely! Crooks don’t surround themselves with honest people. Narcissistic people don’t surround themselves with experts who know more. Obviously, TFFG’s advisors and Cabinet (past and future) tell you who he is.
Voting for Biden is voting for all the honest, expert people he appoints and listens to. He has shown us who he is.
Look at Putin - when the war w Ukraine began, Putin was assured Russia had the very best wartime technology. But, since Putin only knows liars and theives, he got “what he paid for”. It’s astonishing he didn’t see that coming.
Well said, Jane.
JaneDough56 all so true. A true leader knows how to put the right people in the right positions; people that know their job and their roll in the bigger picture. The former president never was and would never be a good leader, only a mean tempered authoritarian. Those kind cannot be trusted in any way shape or form. His cabinet were like musical chairs - none had any expertise in any position. It was a despicable part of our history and we’re still dealing with him. When will it end?
Joe has paid his dues and all those years everyone attributes to his old age, he spent them well and learned a lot. I think history will look on him kindly to say the least and it’s a shame that more of those he is serving so well do not give him credit
A good leader also knows that experienced people improves the leader’s image and performance, while a poor leader is jealous of a person’s expertise. He only hires people who are inept, so he can take all the credit for success and dole out blame to the inept for failure.
Netanyahu’s cabinet is based on the same principles as that of Trump. No experience, only loyalty.
Same antidemocratic religious extremist principles.
But as it is a different system, Netanyahu's administration is more like the GOP House, plum appointments go to the extremists Netanyahu must pander to to keep his position.
You capture so well the stark differences between traditional American administrations - grappling with intractable international challenges with a view to the greater good - and the destabilizing “bombast and belligerence" of a Trump administration content to fan and legitimate so many deadly prejudices and self-interested grievances.
Truth and Reconciliation is the way forward.
We’ll get there.
Lin,
Joe Biden leads with experience. He builds relationships. He has a great team of diplomats as well as those who are working to "build back better". Can we improve? ALWAYS! and we must not just "let projects go without supervision on a regular basis!
As we open our borders to receive immigrants , we must help the border states receiving immigrants. We must as a nation be prepared with processing stations....we must have housing and staff who can speak the languages of those coming to us.
Fellow citizens....their needs provide jobs for Americans .....their needs provide opportunitues to introduce them in a positive way to our great country. Let's admit and observe the many jobs they are willing to take that our citizens will not! Immigrants also need our protection!!!
How many of us would travel by foot through rivers and jungles with practically nothing to be a part of this nation? How many of us take the time to VOTE?
We have plenty of disrupters within our own government in our states and within each and all government positions. We do not need to point our fingers at the problems with people seeking asylum at the border.
We do need to educate our children to value this country and to value Democracy and to respect those who have left everything because they have heard about the opportunities we offer for a better life. The immigrants have suffered so much to come here....how much more do they appreciate freedom than we?
President Biden has been elected and served his state and this country in Washington most of his life. He loves this country and all the best for which it stands. Leaders throughout the world know him and trust him. No one is perfect, but I believe that along with his advisers, we have been able to accomplish much good.....not only here but throughout the world.
Emily - I agree. I’ve done some volunteer refugee resettlement (previously with refugees from the Balkan wars and now with a Ukrainian refugee family). I’ve seen so much hard work, gratitude and loyalty to the U.S. If only all of our native-born citizens could appreciate and possibly even emulate these new Americans.
I remember watching those confirmation hearing and being dissappointed with Thomas's acceptance to the Supreme Court. Yes, Biden carries blame for that, and we are all paying the price. I do not want to minimize the error, but I also firmly believe that Biden has learned from his mistakes and has adapted and changed with the times. The result of such a career is a seasoned and capable politician and administrator who has the insights and capacity to lead the U.S. well. The point of today's post is just that, and it's an obvious contrast to his political opposition.
In a 2019 article in the NYT, Anita Hill described a discussion with Biden in which he expressed regret for what she went through. She appreciated the call but told the Times that it fell short of an apology and by itself was not enough. She didn't think his actions were disqualifying, but hoped to see proper actions and policies for women.
A link to that article:
Joe Biden Expresses Regret to Anita Hill, but She Says ‘I’m Sorry’ Is Not Enough https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/25/us/politics/joe-biden-anita-hill.html?smid=nytcore-android-share
Since that hearing, has progress been made in our society on the issue of violence against women? I would say yes, but not nearly enough. I would also say that progress would be reversed during a 2nd Trump administration - maybe not due to any laws being repealed, but through overt misogynistic behavior by Trump.
The choice, to me, is clear.
"Permitting the Saudis"?? Like we have control. And trying to stop someone from terrorist acts is wrong? If I was your neighbor and was lobbing grenades onto your property, what would you do? If I was threatening the Uber and Amazon trucks coming down your street, what would you do? Would you take action or demand that the police take action, or would you just keep calling me a naughty boy?
It continues to amaze me how folks want to support terrorist organizations, regardless of how much havoc they have created across the globe.
Most here are sincerely struggling with a very difficult situation and giving it serious thought.
The fact is that the Carter, Clinton, Obama, and Biden administrations have been more fair than the Reagan, Bush 1+2, and Trump administrations.
Not good enough, but better.
Maybe more has been donated to Bidens campaigns because he was in Congress so long......"glorious career". Also beneficiaries include: Lindsay, Ted, Marco, McCain (before), McConnell, Mark Kirk (all lovely republicans).
No, just keep your head in the sand.
The truth. All this adoration of Biden makes me sick to my stomach. No I am NOT a Trump supporter, heaven forbid. I voted for Biden and loathe Trump et al and everything they stand for. That has not blinded me however to Biden et al’s despicable support of the murderous Israeli regime and their war crimes. No I would NEVER vote for Trump or any of his minions and wanna-be clones but I will also never vote for Biden again either. Fortunately (in this particular instance ONLY) I live in a state that is so thoroughly red that unless some kind of miracle occurs and it does not go massively and overwhelmingly for Trump, my vote doesn’t count and is useless and meaningless for all intents and purposes.
Well thank Christ's white ass for that!
Keep on bringing this powerful message.
I’m marking your share here for future conversations w folks.
What appears most is for the soap opera mentality sector, drama queens, attention getters- that group. NEWS is not found on channels lusting to viewership /bottom line dollar raising/corporate strangleholds/hostage actors /followers of fantasy fanatics.
People who regularly vote , most often by facts , read credible sources. There’s growing evidence through courts dismissing appeals /declaring guilty parties liable/citing multiple investigations sufficient basis for rendering sentences one after another and prison terms, who and their complicits are -the noisy , chaotic, law breaking and liars club. It isn’t a stretch, it’s fact after fact , and those remaining aboard that ship will eventually end up the same , just time is wasted folks and your taxpayer money looting the till.
Out of this we hope serious journalism can survive -my applause for credibility.
Out of this we learned loopholes in need to codify ,passing laws protecting principle, correcting long turned cheeks ‘looking the other way ‘ , accountability to truth.
I’ve been here subscribed to Heather’s, Steve’s , Simon’s Joyce’s , Ruth’s groups which are BTW free subscription( only paying customers can comment however) since near the getgo . I listen to PBS/BBC/watch documentary/research for collaboration, because the BS is big boot high to pander to that dollar EVERYWHERE!
The commentaries ,99% of the time are great, solid information gained carefully..I commend and appreciate y’all’s input. 🫶👏
It’s critical and forever work to sustain truth.
Know and promote the solution seekers . Biden and an incredibly team are bringing back America ‘s leadership through these years of turmoil. Much yet needs done.
💙💙VOTE ALL THE COMPLICIT OUT💙💙
Sorry, but your, and Heather’s, praise for both diplomacy and international rules-based order is a sham, couched in a propagandized, post-WWII desire for American hegemony. Every mention of rules-based order should be more accurately referred to as the American rules-based order, for that is what we seek. We look to the UN for a resolution to bomb Yemen, but veto one for a Gaza ceasefire. We value commerce, not the lives of people. There’s your American diplomacy. There is where America is. You’re right, that’s our choice.
Genocide Joe and Butcher Blinken have bombed Syria, Iraq, and Yemen now, in order to keeping letting Israel continue to bomb and slaughter Palestinians in Gaza. American rules-based order. Oh yes, and American diplomacy. But hey, it’s cool if war breaks out; we’ll just blame it on Iran, or Russia, or China. Because we’re the good guys, right?
https://www.caitlinjohnst.one/p/western-empire-bombs-yemen-to-protect
“What Biden does not mention in his statement about his administration’s “response” to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea is the fact that those Red Sea attacks are themselves a response to Israeli crimes against humanity in Gaza. Also unmentioned is the fact that the strikes took place after the first day of proceedings in the International Court of Justice in which Israel stands accused by South Africa of committing a genocide in Gaza.
So the US and the UK just bombed the poorest country in the middle east for trying to stop a genocide. Not only that, they bombed the very same country in which they just spent years backing Saudi Arabia’s genocidal atrocities which killed hundreds of thousands of people between 2015 and 2022 in an unsuccessful bid to stop the Houthis from taking power.”
"diplomacy, the established method of influencing the decisions and behaviour of foreign governments and peoples through dialogue, negotiation, and other measures short of war or violence."
You are angry. There is certainly a cause for anger. Diplomacy is anger management.
Your diplomacy here is a sham. And is genocide complicity; nothing more.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/01/12/tall-tales-and-murderous-restraint-blinken-on-gaza-and-israel/
“Perhaps the greatest canard of all in this briefest of trips by Blinken is the continued, now absurd claim, that Washington is committed “to working with partners to set the conditions necessary for peace in the Middle East, which includes comprehensive, tangible steps towards the realization of a future Palestinian state alongside the State of Israel, with both living in peace and security.”
In his remarks to President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah, Blinken showed the hardened ignorance that will ensure the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will continue in some form. In his mind, a “reformed” Palestinian Authority will take over the reins of a ruined Gaza (“effective responsibility”) whatever the residents of Gaza think.
Palestinians will never, given current conditions, be permitted sovereignty and anything remotely resembling a thriving, viable state. Israel, whose very existence is based on predation, dispossession and war, will never permit a Palestinian entity to be given equal standing at the diplomatic or security table. The US, in the tatty drag of an independent broker, will go along with the pantomime, promoting, as Blinken is, a sham, counterfeit form of autonomy, one forever subject to conditions, demarcations and restraints. And one thing is almost certain about any future rump Palestinian entity: it will be deprived of any right to defend itself.”
More horseshit.
""mansplaining" historian revisionist history."
Yikes! WTW?
There is cause for Tom's anger (see my response to him). It is paralyzing to watch Israel actively conducting genocide on the Palestinians (the army have been passing out rifles to the settlers on the West Bank) after what the Jews experienced during the Holocaust. Diplomacy here is simply a dance on hot coals. Bibi HAS to be taken out....
Please.......South Africa wants to use the term "genocide" but lots of countries not buying it. netanyahu maybe .
Those countries are either fearful or compliant with American hegemony.
Your knowledge of the definition of genocide, and the criteria necessary for its applicable accusation, is deficient. Study up.
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/the-case-for-genocide/comments
Are the attacks on Gaza anger management? What about those on the houthi? Just asking.
No. By definition.
They are both military attacks. And they ought not be equated.
Yes. I am glad you came right out with that. It was the same belief as in 2016. Elect Trump and let things get bad enough. But it didn't grind to a halt did it? It got worse. And at the expense of our most vulnerable neighbors, fragile planet, and endangered democracy.
Trump's abandonment of the Palestinians IS the most proximal reason for their violence in an attempt to bring the focus back onto their valid concerns.
Trump did not just abandon any hope for justice for Palestinians. Trump embraced and encouraged - put America's imprimatur on - the worst abuses of the racist right wing religious extremist Netanyahu regime. Trump, his Evangelical base, and AIPAC. The worst 'friends' Israel could have.
You explained my reasoning behind my assertion. Thank you.
Truth!
I am torn...probably in the same way Biden is. Here you have bully Bibi and his rabid right-wingers not only bent on wiping out Hamas, but as his blatant actions show, to annihilate all Palestinians whether by killing them or shoving them out of Israel. The world response is pure horror. I felt the same when Biden declared that we would back Israel and "my friend Bibi" 100%. The Houthis have clearly stated that they would stop their attacks the minute Israel stops theirs on Gaza. The US has now pulled back on their "100%" support. Blinken is between a rock and a hard place. So Tom, other than diplomacy, what would you do if you were in his position as you watch ships carrying needed goods being attacked, knowing that genocide against Gaza will continue as long as Bibi is in control (other than suspending their annual allowance in the millions)? It is he who needs to be wiped out....
As with Trump, Bibi is the personification of the problem. The domination of government by racist right wing religious extremists.
Who've learned that in unity there is strength and voting is the path to power.
Agree with removing Netayahu. ("wiping out?? .....not the language you want to use unless you are stirring up emotional reactions.....similar to Tom).
ThankYou Kathy.
Yeah, why get emotional about a genocide, right, Kathy?
I have stated many times here, Biden needs to do what Reagan did as a response to Israel bombing a refugee camp in Lebanon in the 80s. He got the Israeli PM on the phone and said knock it off, or the military aid we provide will come under serious scrutiny. Israel complied.
But we have to mean it. If Bibi ignored the threat, and he very well might, we have to be willing to turn off the spigot.
We have been playing Manichaean checkers in the Middle East, especially since the coup in Iran since ‘53, instead of chess.
https://www.counterpunch.org/2024/01/12/the-united-states-and-the-middle-east-hoist-on-its-own-petard/
““Strategic cooperation” in the Persian Gulf led to U.S.-Israeli agreement on prepositioning U.S. military weaponry and medical gear in Israel; the U.S. Sixth Fleet’s use of Israeli ports; and the formation of a committee to arrange joint military exercises. The Reagan administration even resumed the delivery of cluster bombs to the Israeli Defenses Forces (IDF); the Carter administration had stopped such deliveries because Israel was using these weapons illegally against civilians. The Reagan administration increased military assistance to Israel, and concluded a trade agreement with Israel that gave it preferential treatment.
Fast forward to the present, and we find the United States trying to pull Israeli chestnuts out of a genocidal fire that the IDF has set in Gaza. U.S. weapons are central to the bombing campaign against Gaza, which has killed more than 23,000 civilians, devastated the elementary infrastructure that exists there, and annihilated more than 200 aid workers and journalists, and in some case their entire families. It took the Israeli killing of three Israeli hostages to make the international community aware of Israel’s total disregard for human life. And now South Africa has taken the case of Israeli war crimes to the International Court of Justice at the Hague, which is one of the more incredible ironies of this miserable tragedy.”
No, South Africa has lodged its complaint with he UN. Get your facts straight.
Tom HIGH, the Houthi are fighting for Gaza by disrupting international commerce? Sounds like Terrorism to me. Chaos by non state pirates applied to ships not involved with Gaza
Your pretzel is uniquely twisted
Your problem here, Dave, is that you have a propagandized, simplistic definition of terrorism.
Your inability to recognize American terrorism, by both military and diplomatic means, is what is twisted. Your pretzel is hurl worthy, but certainly not unique.
You've been reading too much Chomsky. Did you know that he advocates stateless communism? Dave Dalton is right.
Horseshit.
Exactly. Well said, Lin.
Excellent assessment, lin. We elect Presidents, and administrations. Sadly, we also elect Judges, and there are far too many "wing nuts" occupying seats where their black robes match their black hearts.
https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/01/middle-east-verge-wider-war
Diplomatic efforts.
To put it simply:
Trump = “me”
Biden = “we”
An apt point about what we choose when we elect a President, we elect an executive administration. To this I add, is that he or she is an executive charged with leading foremost into the future, not simply responding or pontificating about actions that are of concern at the kitchen table. Secretaries and Department heads are responsible for carrying out the implementation of our laws and serving the present needs of our citizens. Leadership requires men and women concerned with how the present will ensure safety and prosperity of the nation, not merely today, but on behalf of the next generations. It also requires they recognize what they can do and what they may merely influence, not control. To wit, Obama gave Trump a thriving economy, international standing, and an acceptable debt level, which he squandered, not to mention his handling of the Covid Pandemic or our international standing.
Where is Russia in all this? Except for passing reference to the UN Security Council abstention, there is no mention of Russia. I think it is unlikely in the extreme that Russia is content to be a spectator to events in the Middle East. I think it is just as unlikely that Russia isn’t doing all it can to re-install Trump in the White House and thus ham-string NATO.
Biden is wise to get the backing of the UN and many nations and to publicly and repeatedly warn the Houthis before military strikes. The glaring difference between his maturity and Trump’s destructive isolationism couldn’t be more apparent.
Putin is probably quietly supporting Iranian efforts with the H-Bros (Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis). The American media eye-balls are now diverted to The Middle East and away from Ukraine, who needs our funding approved through the House. I see it as a slow-death move by Putin in his efforts to break Ukraine, and establish the march of fascism into Western Europe.
Russia is intensifying attack in Ukraine while the world's attention is diverted to the Middle East and US Republicans continue to block aid to Ukraine. Russia effing loves this M.E. conflict and actively runs disinformation campaigns to fan its flames.
We won’t have worldwide conflict if chump worms his way back in the WH. He will bow down to Putin (probably thinking that they will be partners) and cave on every issue. Any NATO coalition will be a thing of the past. The question is what will China do about that bromance? Of course, chump would be ditched in short order and the USA become a Russian satellite without Putin ever firing a shot.
I recognize that predictions are difficult, especially about the future (who said that), but chump has made his intentions clear often enough. Believe him and let’s ditch him before Putin puts him on a flight to nowhere.
Jeri,
I think you are spot on with this one.
Sometimes I wonder if I live in a different world from the MAGAts, and any Repub. it’s a no-brainer to me. And yes, I do question myself a lot, but the equation always equals 2 +2
If Biden loses, putin effectively controls Russia, Europe (with the disbanding of NATO), and the US. He will probably win India, creating a formidable stand against Xi in China. China gets to take Taiwan, and then moves against Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, the Southeast Asian countries. The establishment of shipping routes through the melting Arctic (because of manufactured opposition to climate change science/warnings), seems destined to then be Putin’s to control (Sorry Canada). Leave the Middle East to the religious extremists to implode. But we can be consoled to have a hard-right return to degrading white-christian-patriarchy/ militancy. The faux-christians keep saying “The Rapture” is coming. Could it be a spell-check error? Because is sound an awful lot more like “The Rupture” is coming.
The Rupture is coming. Exactly. I think some of those excited about the Rapture will get one hell of a surprise. Rupture indeed.
Agreed; there won't be worldwide conflict; there will be world wide fascist destruction.
Exactly, and chump will do it bigger and better. What a loser and empty suit. ugly cretin, as are his worshippers. Hope i live long enough to see him kicked to the curb, put out like the trash he is...
strong action. Needed and balanced. I hope to hell it works as intended, but there really was no other choice.
Ralph Allen,
Do not think for a minute that Putin isn't watching with delight. He does have friends in the Middle East.
He does not want us to support Ukraine.
He is acting on his own personal goals for himself....he is not idle!
Sure there was another choice. Stop giving Israel bombs to slaughter civilians in Gaza with.
Tom H, “if only the world would abandon Israel, peace will occur.”
“If only the world embraced Hamas, peace will occur”
“If only Iran would stop funding terrorists, peace will occur”
“If only Democracies would stop reacting to International aggression, peace will occur”
“If only the Religious Authorities in “The West”, the Middle East, and the Far East would all agree to be Christian, peace will occur”
“If only Anarchy was embraced as the one true way, peace will occur”
Pick all that apply to your approach
Tom seems to think that international affairs can be conducted as if we are all-seeing script writers with future plot-defining powers and complete information on all possible players and motivations. He also has one colonialism viewpoint that filters all information he does have, and he has a lot. But it's all hindsight information.
Knowledge of history IS important, but much of it only becomes widely known much later in time. Instead, leaders are put in difficult situations making decisions with incomplete information and little to no control over how other people respond. Eventually it all gets distilled into a cohesive narrative for our pattern-seeking brains. But until then, it's chaotic, imperfect , and highly emotionally charged.
People mostly make emotion-based decisions, not rational logic based ones. Emotions prod us into action. Reason moderates that action. That is why we must elect leaders who are able to moderate their feelings when making these decisions. Biden is doing that. Trump, and Netanyahu, are not.
Biden is making decisions based on American hegemony. Period.
Your first paragraph above is total crap, nothing but word salad; yet another ‘you don’t live in the real world’ centrist deflection from asking not whether policy is right or wrong, or moral, but rather, does it conform to the DC beltway consensus on foreign policy.
Much of American history becomes known later because it is covered up due to the understanding by operatives and elected officials in the loop that it is mendacious in intent. American ‘leaders’, whether you’re talking about Biden or Trump, do what the ‘intelligence’ agencies and the MIC want.
There is nothing, nothing, nothing, rational or logical about making the decision to be complicit in a genocide by using some absurd rules-based order or geopolitical reasoning.
You ‘seem’ to think it’s regrettable, but OK, and it’s a reprehensible rationalization to make.
I suggest you read Kissinger’s book “Diplomacy”
Now that made me laugh out loud! Thanks!
What’s next, a book on how I learned to be a diplomatic asshole, by Hillary Clinton?
Dave, you got him with Anarchy. Tom is all-in Chomsky.
James, anytime I run into an “either/or” or “black/white” pontificator, I think of my days as a negotiator and remember that for a successful result, both sides walk away with something that they want, something they had to give away; pissed off because they had to give something away, but satisfied that they got some of what they wanted
Idealism has no place in real world diplomacy
Tom, in previous columns you list all the evils you say were done to the Palestinians. You take every opportunity to do that even if that's not the issue under discussion. Are you saying that Israel should stop existing? Where should all those Israeli citizens go?
I want the Gaza war to end now, too. I also want Hamas to never launch rockets into Israel like it has been doing almost weekly since the took over the Gaza strip after Israeli unilaterally left that area in 2005. I want a 2 state solution.
What do you want?
I want peace, and for the Palestinians not to be oppressed by Israel.
The more I study this issue, the more I come to the conclusion that peace and Zionism are incompatible. Israel has two choices here: Either allow the Palestinians their own autonomous state, by giving up land and territory seized post-‘67 war, or reject the Zionist requirement that Israel be a Jewish state, and have a one-state democracy with the possibility the Palestinians might one day have a political majority.
Should Israel reject both options, yes, I believe it has no right to exist, and continue to oppress the Palestinians via second-class citizenship, apartheid, herding people into an open-air prison/concentration camp, and currently, ethic cleansing and genocide.
And should that happen, the Israeli citizens can go wherever they want, unlike the confined people of Gaza.
What you're really saying is either create a Palestinian state or dissolve Israel. In the first case, there will be no peace because nothing will change. In the second case, Israel will disappear and the territory will be fought over by the surrounding hostile theocratic countries, the worst solution of all, solving nothing. Israel's substantial contribution to modern civilization will be wiped out. The first case might work if Palestinians and their allies embrace democracy, denounce theocracy, and categorically declare Israel's right to exist; I put the odds of that at about zero. The second case must not be allowed to happen. Your understanding of history is wanting, Tom. How old are you?
So Israel isn’t a theocratic country? Israel doesn’t embrace democracy, either. Your understanding of history is worse than wanting, it is flawed.
Your statement that the creation of a Palestinian state will result in no peace because nothing will change is one of the stupidest statements I’ve heard on this issue.
I’m 71.
Israel is a secular democracy. The creation of the Palestinian state will probably happen. It will take many many years for things to improve, if things go well. Of course, it's a much greater problem than just these two peoples. If Israel becomes a theocracy, then I would agree that it should not exist as such. But that is not likely. I guess I could have assumed you weren't some college kid; after all, Chomsky has a lot of years on him, too.
Although, at the moment the United Nations is the primary international body we have for coordination among the nations on this planet, it is stymied by a type of governance that was created as a compromise, allowing a few nations on the security council an ordinate power over international action. NATO on the other hand can back up it’s beliefs in world order with military action. Although the term “world government“ is anathema to some, I think this is a time we need to at least conceptualize a better forum with more potential to utilize force to keep rogue nations in line.
Donald Trump, if elected president once again, will take actions that will only increase the chaos happening on this planet. Just the possibility of him and the fascist minded Republicans that he leads undercuts any faith in support from the United States in the future for world peace.
The Trump administration does not really care about future world peace, they only care about themselves as individuals who are grabbing as much power and wealth as possible. It would be most unfortunate if the United States misutilizes its leadership powers to promote the agenda of fascism worldwide.
Here is my peace plan for the Middle East:
1. Israel faces an existential crisis as soon as the U.S. "aid spigot" gets cut off for whatever reason (including possible American political or economic crisis).
2. Any viable solution must enable Israel to be secure without constant infusions of American aid.
3. This requires peace with Israel’s neighbors, including Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
4. This requires undoing the Nakba terrorist atrocity and withdrawing to the U.N.-mandated pre-1948 borders.
5. This can only be done in the context of peaceful economic integration throughout the region, for the benefit of all. A lasting peace must be guaranteed individually by each permanent member of the U.N. Security council, and endorsed by Israel’s neighbors.
6. The recent Hamas atrocities were sparked by provocations (yet again) at the Temple Mount. The dream of rebuilding the Temple of Herod must be given up and replaced by the will to rebuild the Temple of Solomon in its correct location.
Israel should have been established as a sanctuary country for all oppressed peoples, not just Jews. To create a country for the exclsive benefit of one specific ethnoreligious group in a region where that group is a minuscule minority is to doom it to exist in a state of never ending conflict.
No. 4 isn't going to happen. Netenyahu needs to go, along with his far tight patriarchal government. The Israeli's chose not to be a ally to Ukraine so they wouldn't piss off Russia. How has that worked out for Israel? Qatar and Saudi Arabia are not great allies to the US, but they have been more helpful in Gaza than Israel. And why aren't the taking care of the Houthis? It is in their interest to keep the Red Sea clear of conflict.
Maybe TFFG should go negotiate with Hamas and Israel. He always says he can negotiate everything in a day. /S
In my assessment, point #4 is the absolute prerequisite for Israel to exist without an endless lifeline if U.S. military aid in a hostile environment prone to nuclear proliferation.
In other words, No. 4 is a prerequisite for Israeli survival.
Israel treats the Arabs and Christians in the "expanded" territories like dogs. I wish the borders would revert to 1948, but I don't see Israel ever relinquishing these territories especially if the next leaders are hardliners like the current Israeli government.
I think the Palestinians and Arab states could make a return to the ‘67 borders work, but the Israelis would still balk, and their lobby owns America, so there you go.
Your point 6, correction: Al-Aqsa, surely. Or, more broadly, the area which Muslims call Al Haram as Sharif and others, the Temple Mount. Could you clarify your final sentence?
Thank you, "Temple Mount" is better.
https://www.bibleplaces.com/domeofrock/
One of the ancient Hebrew temple demons survived:
"Asmodiel was under the impression that it would be able to wait and have the opportunity to reestablish the Hebrew Temple. However, with the empire decreasing in strength, there was no ability to reestablish the temple under the newly Christian empire’s dominion. Asmodiel decided to wait until the empire had fallen, and then to reestablish a temple in Jerusalem that would be independent. Asmodiel was dedicated to this idea, but it knew that it would have to create a new religion, because the temple’s priests and traditions no longer existed."
https://earthwarning.org/index.php/here-be-demons/
Well, at least we found an issue in front of the UN security council that even China and Russia implicitly support (for their lack of the usual veto): COMMERCE. Human rights? Not so much.
Where's John Grisham when we need him?
The late author of novels on international criminality would spot Iran as key to the hatreds pushing the three H's: Houthi, Hamas, Hezbollah. Why have Xi's China and Putin's Russia backed off from full support for Iran and its larger agenda? Without John Grisham anymore, we can't tell.
Can anyone rein in Netanyahu and his far-right settlers? Can any combination of Arab states underwrite some decency for Palestinians which Israel can agree to -- even with its proliferating far-right aggravators?
Key is schools. Any civilized arrangement here must include the region's schools as central to learning, practicing, essaying humane conversation.
Leave out the schools, and we're as bereft as we already are without John Grisham.
Good comment, but perhaps bad spell check on the author? Grisham is still alive and well, last I heard. John Le Carre, perhaps?
“Key is schools. Any civilized arrangement here must include the region's schools as central to learning, practicing, essaying humane conversation.
Leave out the schools, and we're as bereft as we already are without John Grisham.”
John Grisham’s books are being banned in Florida .📚
https://pen.org/books-banned-orange-county-florida/
Just “Wow!”
Just came to say that I’m not finding anything re: the passing of John Grisham.
Can you provide a link?
My mistake.
Tom Clancy (who died in 2013) wrote the novels of international criminality (viz. Jack Ryan).
John Grisham ("Runaway Jury," and other U.S.-set greats) still lives.
Thank you. I was thinking this was way more Clancy-esque rather then Grisham-like. Both authors I have enjoyed reading.
That’s just what I was going to look up as well.
I learned a lot from Nelson DeMille.
Sad, but most probably true.
Unfortunately, our own nation is in jeopardy of becoming a "rogue nation" if the republican fascists continue to threaten and overpower us. We need our government and military to rattle our own extremists a bit in backing off their threats of civil war in order to protect us and our democracy. There. I said it.
Thank you for saying that. We are a nation divided.
We need to speak more loudly with our power. We are way too passive. I wondered why the people being herded into cattle cars in pre-WWII were so passively going along with the herding. I vowed as a nine year old I would never allow fascists to do that to me. Never did I think it could get this close. I want our country to protect us and honor all those who died for our freedoms.
Marc Nevas,
Completely disagree about force ie all the people, men, women and children slaughtered in Gaza by Netanyahu. Killing a perceived enemy does not give anyone the right to slaughter a population of a different religion.
The problem here is that terrorist organizations are not part of the UN.
The Middle East is an historical cauldron of bubbling resentments and antagonisms that has been the graveyard of well-intentioned peacemakers.
The Islamic split between Sunni and Shiite in the 8th century still echoes in the role of Iran and even Bahrain in Middle Eastern geopolitics.
The current highlighting of the Houthis is another Middle Eastern ‘back burner’ that has become a front liner. I recall, when I was working in the Middle East in the 1950s, that an Arab scholar said to me “If you relish the 15th century, focus on Yemen.”
Yemen has been a rather isolated, splintered ‘country’ for many centuries. (For a nanosecond, in the 1950s, it was part of an association including Egypt and Syria, which swiftly disintegrated.)
In the 2010s Yemen was shaken by a struggle between northern and southern Yemenite tribes. A group including the Houthis (supported by Iran) seized control of the capital and other areas.
Mohamed bin Salman, with American support, sought to crush the Houthis. This included massive air bombardment and military action that killed many Yemenite citizens. One might say that Yemen became MBS’s ‘Vietnam.’ The Houthis ‘rebels’ controlled a significant area and MBS found it difficult to disengagement (especially with the Saudi-Iran rivalry).
Ultimately there was a precarious cease fire. Several years ago the Houthis launched rockets that damaged Saudi oil refineries. Most recently they are using rockets and drones, as well as armed terrorists in small boats, to disrupt shipping in the vital channel in southern Yemen that is a choke point for shipping coming from Iran as well as Suez Canal shipping.
There has been a long history of attacks against shipping along the Middle East/African coast. A US-led coalition has just attacked Houthi done and missile bases. It is unclear whether this will diminish Houthi attacks on shipping. Nor is it certain that the Houthis may not again strike Saudi petroleum production.
WELCOME TO ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE MIDDLE EASTERN IMBROGLIO!
Keith, I very much appreciate your depth of experience and “long view” about these matters that most of us barely ken. What an extraordinary career/life you have led!
Barbara I delight in the insights of your and other perceptive subscriber commentaries.
Generally, I link my commentaries to whatever Heather highlights. Since ‘economics’ is not her thing, I haven’t had the occasion to draw on my experience of creating international bond ratings, doing the sovereign ratings personally, and then being Moody’s EVP responsible for all domestic and global tax related bonds.
That doesn’t provide me special insight into today’s finances. For that I rely heavily on Paul Krugman.
Paul Krugman, as a young Yale post grad, was part of a macroeconomics ER Team invited to Portugal to make macro repairs. Paul is still hitting on all cylinders in his NYT column yesterday.
Bryan As a MIT Sloan Fellow, I had some insight into MIT economic profs. Many years ago Paul Krugman was considered 2nd fiddle to Lester Thurow. Lester was a PR phenomenon, while Krugman was in a back water.
Lester was WRONG on all his big ideas. In 1989, for example, he and Heibroner wrote that the soviet economic system was on a relative part with that of America.
Krugman has an extraordinary ego, but he merited a Nobel and is my economic anchor to windward.
Thurow died and is generally forgotten.
Hitting on all cylinders. Yeah, that’s Paul.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/10/22/economists-globalization-trade-paul-krugman-china/
Keith, your post with your historical context is sorely needed on the platform today.
Buried in the discourse has been a new element of a deadly supply of "ballistic missiles".apparently, North Korean war technology.
The US Dept of State has identified the key individual involved in this deadly international trade. See Dept of State alerts.since 1/3/24. for a comprehensive overview.
The list of the belligerents is much broader & not limited to "Yemen to Lebanon" much less a single actor.
Your posts are important now more than ever. Thank you.
Agreed, Counselor.
Thank you Officer. No doubt you recall my post 1/1/24 about the rapidly expanding Regional conflict over a broad area.
Indeed I do.
Keith, thank you for the good additional background.
Yemen, another failed state that outside actors can't keep their hands out of!
Keith, as always, thank you for your perspective and analysis. I appreciate your input.
In other words, all of this talk about Houthis raising hell to support Hamas is bullshit.
“ 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.
As others have mentioned, to have leaders that speak well on the international stage rather than bombast and “a sea of blood will flow” type talk is priceless beyond measure.
This is extremely delicate because -
unlike when the world united to stamp out the rogue Islamic State.... back then the IS was a bitter enemy of Iran.
in this case, the Houthis are firmly part of the Iran axis with Hezbollah and Hamas... and Iran is a strong ally of Putin's Russia.
Careful folks!
Yes, 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??
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.
the world remembers Mike. That is the problem.
And Putin is expertly stoking those memories
Just to be clear, I am in no way connected to Putin outside of wishing he had some pics of Trump visiting Russia to release.
I am, on the other hand, connected to my own sad reading and study post retirement that has made me understand my own country, the USA, ever so much better than I did before when I had no time to learn any history.
Mike, it is very sobering and angst-filled to realize one’s “idol” (or idealistic image) actually has feet of clay. In some ways tho’ it can be liberating to see the real deal (true history) and be accountable for it and try to move forward with way less hubris as a nation. Was it in the 70’s or 80’s that “consciousness raising” (not a bad thing!) was all the rage? To be more conscious of our actions/impact (consequences) is, I think, a good thing….maybe we should pay more attention to it!
And, "Teach Ins" during the Vietnam War.
Ha! I remember those!
Barbara. Yes. Being more conscious is definitely a good thing. I can honestly say I was not really conscious until we invaded Afghanistan.
Mine was Vietnam…my first protests…in the late 60’s & early 70’s. Lost friends there & others came back forever changed….how could you not be; other male friends & acquaintances left the country to avoid the draft. On another note, is at that time the (still stalled after all these years) passage of the ERA was on the front burner….had fellow college students tell me that if it passed then women could be drafted. My response was “fair is fair”, even tho I considered myself (still do) a pacifist & opposed the war. Whoa, trip down memory lane!
Barbara, the ‘be accountable’ part is the key. And to paraphrase the last line in the film Erin Brockovich, we suck at it.
Really Mike? "Just to be clear, I am in no way connected to Putin"
Why do you feel the need to say that?
We could add Vietnam, the counter productive American aggressions in Afghanistan, and esp Iraq, which gave rise to ISIS in the first place. "rules based order".... yes, ironies abound. No apologies mind you for taking military action against the Houthi actions in international waters.
Mike, you and I are in complete synch when it comes to the stupid stuff America has done. The list is long. "Remember the Maine"? It goes back to so many events. We actually created Castro's communist Cuba!
But since we are here now, what do we do? I posit that we have no choice but to show strength in the face of the current "Axis of Evil" (I shuddered when I used that phrase).
The three "H"s = Iran = Russia = MAGA
All four are aligned to destroy what little democracy still exists in the West.
Bill.
I don’t really use terms like evil Bill.
Iran, the USA, Russia have ALL spent a fair bit of time in the evil side of the coin.
ALL countries really only seek their own self interest.
That is the real “rule”.
Mike Actually the Shah was installed in 1941 to replace his dad, who seemed pro Hitler. Regarding the 1953 coup against Mohammed Mossadeq, the Shah had fled to Rome. Under Kermit Roosevelt CIA initiated a coup—which failed! Then General Zahedi (sp?), separate from CIA, initiated his own coup, CIA claimed credit, and the Shah returned.
Ironically, Dick Helms, the former CIA director, was ambassador in Iran during the 1970s.
I was responsible for sovereign bond ratings at Moody’s in 1975. Iran, with a massive balance of trade surplus after the 1973 oil spike, sought rating of a $1,000,000,000.
I told them if they applied for a long-term bond, I would rate them below investment grade. I wonder why my savvy, as opposed to that of the US government, saved investors a billion $$$.
Awesome and detailed reply. Thank you. I have saved it.
Christopher and Mike, you are accurate with your assessments. Our meddling and manipulation in the affairs of other governments in the 20th Century and into the 21st has not set us up well going forward from here.
Yes Ally, but there's a difference. Mike S has a bee in his bonnet about the legasy of American imperialism and deals with his guilt by using every opportunity to disparage and run down the USA.
On the other hand, I am simply pointing out the link between this allied attack on the Houthis and the invasion of the Ukraine.
(I'm English so I know a bit about imperialism and anachronistic guilt)
Christopher. Thanks for the psycho analysis?
Who knew I felt guilty about the Vietnam, Afghan, Iraq wars that I had no hand in starting and participating in?
Not me.
And I happen to think you're both accurate with your assessments within your frameworks of experience and education.
Thanks Ally. Awakening to the real USA has been painful.
Christopher Spot on. Makes me hum the song I DIDN’T KNOW THE GUN WAS LOADED.
Think the US HAD to respond….. the NEXT counter response from Iranian ‘factions’ is critical…are we on an ‘escalation’ path? We will know pretty soon….a very unsettling recent ‘fact’ is the impending starvation of a couple million Palestinians left in Gaza…..
Editor’s note: This story contains a photograph with graphic content.
More than half a million people in Gaza — a quarter of the population — are starving, according to a report Thursday by the U.N. and other agencies that highlights the humanitarian crisis caused by Israel’s bombardment and siege on the territory in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.
The extent of the population’s hunger eclipsed even the near-famines in Afghanistan and Yemen of recent years, according to figures in the report. The report warned that the risk of famine is “increasing each day,” blaming the hunger on insufficient aid entering Gaza.
“It doesn’t get any worse,″ said Arif Husain, chief economist for the U.N.’s World Food Program. “I have never seen something at the scale that is happening in Gaza. And at this speed.”
Joan, the trauma and decimation of the people in Gaza is heart wrenching and bone chilling. I know I’m being a Pollyanna when I have visions of fleets of transport helicopters fanning out across the area in unending waves to bring needed food, water, medical help, etc.; no need for (generally) passable roads if relief can be airlifted in. It is SO hard to be a witness a world away and feel so helpless in the face of such desperate need.
Your last sentence is a keeper. I have felt such about Uganda, Sarajevo, Cambodia, on and on. I was helpless then as suffering was unbearable to watch. Yet we have to depend on elected officials to act for us. Sometimes we help, sometimes we make it worse. Chump would be as “worse” as we could possibly imagine. I won’t go there…
Barbara completely agree and suspect our support of this starvation may well cost us our democracy!
I don't understand Prof. Cox Richardson's uncritical support for Biden's atrocious unconditional support of Israel. Yes, I want Biden to defeat Trump (all thinking people do), and yet his administration is complicit in the ethnic cleansing of Gaza, which is rapidly turning into a genocidal campaign, as the numbers of dead (currently at 23,000) will quickly spike as disease and famine take hold.
In other words, one can believe both things - that Biden will be better than Trump, AND Biden deserves criticism for his policy about Israel. Pulling out of Afghanistan was a demonstration of wisdom and courage. Providing unconditional support and aid to Israel, including weapons, will put Biden on the wrong side of history, and may well cost him the election - as the Arab vote in Michigan is gone and the energy of the under-30s, which was crucial in 2020, is diminished.
Adam President Biden is WRONG in his tacit (and actual) support of Israel’s massive killings and starvation in Gaza. As a former Foreign Service Officer who spent years boots on the ground in the Middle East (visited Palestinian refugees in Gaza in 1953), I am appalled by the official US stance.
We can not ask people to be concerned about Putin’s killing of citizens in Ukraine, while we ignore Israel’s killing and starving many many more civilians in Gaza.
Exactly.
Nonsense. Putin is a fascist dictator invading the sovereign democratic state of Ukraine without legal cause; his war crimes are obvious. We all agree on that. Israel, however, is a secular democratic state that has been incessantly attacked by criminal theocratic mass murders intent on the destruction of Israel since 1948; the same theocratic murderers have attacked and killed thousands of citizens in virtually all western democratic states for decades. While Israel's response may include war crimes violations to be investigated, there is no comparison between Israel and Russia, except a false equivalence, which is the touchstone of mindless far-left anarchists like Noam Chomsky, for whom all states are terrorist organizations.
Every bit of blather against Biden is a plus for chump. Lie to yourself at your own risk. And ours…
Thank You Antony Blinken.
TFG on NATO? Would not come to the aid of Europe if attacked? People voted for that nut case.
Harvey, all one needs to “get him” is to see the vid of him shoving his way to the front of the gathering of world leaders…chin jutting, adjusting his tie and jacket for the photo op…what a self-satisfied dweeb & is how he approached international concerns (all about me me me).
Yes, when the world saw that "move" they knew the world, not just the US was heading down a dangerous path. And did the GOP step up to the plate to fix that? Hell no! They jumped on board because they had their "Incredible Hulk*" leading the way!
*Apologies to The real Incredible Hulk, he's green! And I'm not familiar with his character but isn't he a "good guy"? Certainly the "Orange Hulk" is not that!!!
So hard to "heart" many of these comments as they are heart-wrenching statements about our world... and our participation.
Exactly so, Pensa.
Pensa & Ally ,this thread is one of the top LFAA threads to date. launched by HCR's real time History.
That's about all Diplomacy can accomplish (well done Blinken and the allied Foreign Secretaries), before "the shootin" has to start. I am certainly interested in why Saudi was again missing from the allied ranks. They have been fighting there for a long time.
Japan Times says: "The main reason for its absence appears to be a concern that participating would detract from a long-term strategic goal: extricating itself from a messy war in Yemen and a destructive feud with the Houthis' principal backer, Iran." Hmmm, great ally along with the UAE. Kind of like Mango Muffin and the Bribe Boy Kushner.
Bruce…lol “Mango Muffin and Bribe Boy”. Perfecto!!! I recently saw someone (Bronwyn as I recall) on another SubStack regarding TFFG’s penchant for being a dictator called him “your Heinous”. So apt!
Barbara, if it weren't so darned serious, I'd be laughing my bottom off about the whole gang of MAGAts.
Bruce, I thought so too. But the flight paths across the Saudi peninsula would seem to show at least tacit support.
The Great Medicare Advantage Marketing Scam
How for-profit health insurers convince seniors to enroll in private Medicare plans
(To get less coverage, have less access to providerers and often can't get back into traditional Medicare.)
https://prospect.org/health/2024-01-12-great-medicare-advantage-marketing-scam/
I go on Medicare this year. Not to be a shill but videos/articles from a group called Medicare school,com (intentional comma) have been a great in understanding the farce of advantage plans. I’d been alerted previously by friends in the medical field.
Good thing!
I had heard rumblings. When I hit 65 last year, I had talked to a lot of my fellow law enforcement retirees. While almost all of us that fully (or at least mostly) retired from working started collecting SS at 62 (life expectancy, post retirement, isn't very high, although it is better than it was a generation ago) a fair handful went on the Oregon PERS Plan, which is a Medicare Advantage Plan, and all touted it as a very easy plan to deal with.
I consulted with two friends (locally) who recommended an agency who, while basically an independent insurance agency, specialized in retirement issues. Of all the Advantage Plans available, the PERS one was the best, and after careful review and conversation, we decided to go with Medicare and a Supplemental plan. The relief expressed by the agent (who had been absolutely "non-partisan" in her presentation was palpable. She said that while the PERS plan worked well, it was only if you were basically healthy and did not plan to leave Oregon. I do not have a good track record, mostly from deteriorating joints (thank you 30+years of sheriffin' and 40 years of athletic play/officiating) and internal parts that decide to do various things that aren't pleasant and require removal, plus a cancer history. We also plan to travel.
PERS = Public Employees Retirement System, which was a great thing until the judicial and legislative branches in Oregon voted themselves in and ruined it with bizarre laws and rulings that were patently self-serving.
Advantage plans: If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably an advantage plan that will suck you in and leave you high and dry..
Exactly!
Blue Roots, my friends…longtime Medicare recipients by now, had a breakfast gathering w/ retired compatriots and the subject of Medicare vs Medicare Advantage came up. One fellow said he had Medicare & showed us his “card”….we said no that’s not a Medicare card. Seems he thought he’d signed up for “traditional” Medicare, but he had actually signed up for an Advantage plan instead. Thing is, if it works for you, great. BUT it has to be clear and explained accurately so folks can make informed decisions. I do not like the obfuscation of this issue….money/profit is, of course, involved in this, so is hard to control/call out. We need to do better!
What a world it would be if the unified forces could set back these terrorist organizations and defeat them.
Ilene,
The problem is to identify what is a terrorist organization correct?
For example, the USA terrorized Afghan Civilians for 20 years for no reason at all. Right? Not a single Afghan citizen participated in 9-11 on any plane.
All of the participants were Saudi Citizens (except maybe one who was not Afghan).
Did we invade Saudi Arabia? NO! They have oil. We invaded a poor country without any real military. And terrorized the civilians there for 20 YEARS. We created more than 200,000 dead civilian bodies who never did anything to hurt any American.
Mike
Unless I am mistaken Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis are recognized terrorist organizations. This was not a comment on the US behavior in the earlier conflict you mention. I was not in favor of our behavior in the war you mention.