Politics

All nations do indeed usually act in their self-interests. Israel is no different.

For a whole lot of reasons, but primarily because we and a destitute Great Britain were the last ones standing in the West following the Second World War, the US assumed the collective guilt of the West for not fully appreciating the precarious position of the European Jew. We thus became the first nation to recognize the the State of Israel following its founding and have been its guarantor of sovereignty since.

However, a very strong case can be made that from a pure national interest perspective, we get very little from that relationship. That doesn't mean it isn't the right thing to do, but it does mean that Israel is far more a burden to the US than an asset as we pursue national interest objectives across the Islamic World. I think it is safe to say where we have been successful it has been in spite of that relationship rather than because of it.

I would agree that the Abraham Accords were probably the most meaningful effort to rationalize relations in that part of the world since the conclusion of WWI when Turkish Hegemony was broken. It is truly unfortunate that Kushner did not have another four years to conclude that work.

But yes, the Middle East is a complex place. I spent a year at the Defense Language School in immersive training in the Arabic language; six months at the Foreign Service Institute learning the Arab peninsula dialect; a year at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center for Arab Foreign Area Officer training, a year in lieu of the US Army War College on fellowship to the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Contemporary Arab Studies, Georgetown University; and a career working in the Middle East. I am still learning.

In dealing with any foreign country, it is irrelevant what we "feel" about the leadership of that nation. Netanyahu acts in what he and his ruling majority perceive as the interests of the state of Israel. Because of our role in the founding of that nation, we offer that leadership enormous latitude in exercising the pursuit of those national interests. But before we get too hard on the current administration, it is worth remembering that the United States government determined when the Suez crisis (1956), the Six Day War (1967), and Yom Kippur War (1973) would end - not Israel.

And there’s a lot of folks who believe that Israel sent a message to the USA firing on the USS Liberty.

 
Not that any of the climate warriors would understand any of this - or particularly care - after all, climate change is a belief system more akin to religion than science - but this, and the actual study, should be required reading.


of course the climate changes. Where I live. Only 10,000 years ago, a two mile deep glacier carved some lakes. Then melted.

Here’s some comedy and truth

 
I didn’t hear anything that I could even remotely support. She doesn’t even want to hide what she thinks. So for people that are going to vote for that they know exactly what they will get if she even gets a fraction of what spews out of her mouth.
 
I didn’t hear anything that I could even remotely support. She doesn’t even want to hide what she thinks. So for people that are going to vote for that they know exactly what they will get if she even gets a fraction of what spews out of her mouth.
I’ll give it to her. She doesn’t hold back anything. And if that was indeed watered down, I’d hate to hear her true feelings!
 
This administration has projected weakness for 3 years. Russia, China, Iran, N. Korea all know we are more concerned with pronouns, identity politics and other nonsense.

I’m shocked China hasn’t moved on Taiwan.

If there are terrorist cells infiltrated from the southern border. This would be a good time to strike while we are rudderless.
 
Everyone seems surprised about what Harris says and thinks… just like being surprised about Biden. Where have you been the last 4 years?
Sadly, I don't think anyone is surprised. What is depressing is that around half the people in this country apparently agree with her positions.

This one of her ads from 2020. When you strip away the heart tugging imagery her message proudly states that "equity means we all end up in the same place." I think all of us would agree that a fair and equal as possible start is a worthwhile goal. But equal outcomes represents pure undiluted Marxism. But just as when Sanders was spouting a similar message, young Americans and minorities will love it.

 
Everyone seems surprised about what Harris says and thinks… just like being surprised about Biden. Where have you been the last 4 years?
I don’t think anyone is surprised by what she is saying (she has definitely said it all before) but the fact that she is so bold about it and a lot of people didn’t think it would get to the point where she would actually be the nominee.
 
What, in particular, are you referring to? It has probably been 35 years since I read Leviathan.
Just that he started the entire intellectual tradition from which legal positivism is derived. Hobbes would not say stealing is illegal because it is unjust. He would say stealing is illegal because men don’t want to be stolen from (or raped, or killed) so they created a sovereign or other ruler given authority by social contract and abdicated their own freedom to steal to ensure they themselves were not stolen from. Morality has nothing to do with it.
 
Harris has predominantly African, Indian and Irish ancestry. Of course she embraces two of them because they give her a ticket on the democrat
Identity politics train. The 3rd carries a lot of baggage that our media dispels as being false.





 

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