raccoona_nongrata

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

Same old strategy as every colonizer ever; brainwash the ones you can and strip them of their cultural identity, bury the ones that won’t bend in the mass grave out back.

Same reason there was a massive spike in orphanages as the Uyghur progrom got under way in Xinjiang and communities started vanishing. The CCP sees the necessity of inserting itself between parent and child to stop cultural continuity.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

The main lesson China has taken from the Nazis is to not invade Poland.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

It doesn’t matter what Hamas agrees to or doesn’t, up to this point the ratio of Palestinians killed to Israelis has been 25:1. The two groups are not comparable, it’sfallacious to talk about it as if it’s a “bothsides” scenario.

This is because Israel has all the power, money, land and all the security infrastructure. For decades the only thing Hamas was able to do was bounce rockets off the Iron Dome. The reason Hamas was able to carry out this recent attack was because of Israeli hubris that Palestinians had been sufficiently broken by the IDFs campaign of oppression. They couldn’t fathom that the subhumans could organize this kind of response to their oppression.

Egypt even warned Israel days before the attack that it was going to happen, Israel ignored it because, as we are witnessing, the far-right government wanted an excuse to go on a genocidal tear through Gaza.

It’s Israel’s responsibility, as an actual nation state with full control over Palestine and Gaza, to stop their genocide.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

Israel has been as much “at war” as they are now for the past forty years, because it’s never been a war in any meaningful sense of the word; it’s been a colonization whereby Israel has been violently oppressing Palestine and the Gaza strip and having to deal with groups that violently resist that colonization because they’ve been given literally no other path towards influence iver their own homeland.

Gaza is not a country, it’s an open air prison controlled entirely by Israel. You can’t cut off water, food and electricity to a region and then claim it’s some kind of independent nation whos condition is not your responsibility.

Israel’s war is about as meaningful a use of the word as the war on “terror”. It’s propaganda to make it seem like Israel hasn’t themselves been willfully seeding these conditions for decades.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

Really? 1200 Israelis murdered on October 7th, you’re really telling me that over 30,000 Palestinians have been killed?

Israel has killed over 10,000 civilians in last month or so. Most of whom have been children. More children alone than Israelis in total. So, massively disproportionate and unforgivably evil, but that’s not the ratio I was talking about.

I was referring to the comparative death tolls over the course of Israel’s decades long apartheid rule in Palestine and Gaza, illustrating the clear imbalance of power and how little power Gazans have had, even to resist violently. The pattern of Israel holding all the cards and being able to kill with impunity has held true for decades, they are the occupiers, they haven’t been sitting around minding their own business. They’ve been gassing mosques, blowing up news stations, killing kids and reporters, strangling the supply lines into Gaza.

It would be like the US government mercilessly bombing the Native American reservations here in the US, preventing snyone from leaving or supplies going in, destroying civilian centers and hospitals and calling it a “war”, acting as if they have no responsibility to not kill innocent civilians.

So yes, Israel needs to control their genocidal right-wing government, the “ceasefire” means them stopping murdering children.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

We don’t know if those premature babies were Hamas sleeper agents. You know, Israel just out there with “no choice” but to kill those babies, bomb those hospitals and apartment blocks. Gotta have their war against…whoever.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

And according to the the Torah, Israel was originally founded in genocide. It’s seen as righteous and necessary, dashing the infants against the rocks, child brides, wiping out the tribes of Canaan and all that. Yahweh was all for it.

The main factor as to whether one Abrahamic group or another will commit to genocide is generally just whether they are in power or not. Whenever there is a Christian majority, or a Muslim majority or, as we’ve seen over the last fifty years, a Jewish religious majority, they set about oppressing whichever of the others are a minority.

It’s the Abrahamic philosophies themselves that are poisonous and sustain this spirit of neverending conquest. You’ll never have anything resembling peace in the middle east until the people there move past bronze age beliefs about how they are entitled by god to own some piece of land and everyone else is just collateral or second class citizens. Likewise with christianity in the west and everywhere else it’s been spread.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

Abrahamic religions always lead to genocide. It’s built into the very fabric of the religious traditions, the entire reason they existed to begin with was to justify the genocide of other tribes.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

The median age in Gaza is 18…half the population is literal children because no one lives long enough to grow old. The reality of what Israel is doing to the people in Palestine is not something that can be hidden from and handwaved away any more.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

I think it’s more ideological and about geopolitical power. Maintaining western hegemony in the M.E. requires Israel, and every western nation has dumped a ton of resources into building the nation so no one wants to have that be for nothing, even though Israel has become everything it claims to be against.

Israel will get a blank check as long as the Middle East itself is in turmoil. Bit of a perverse incentive, but it explains both the wests support for the genocidal regime in Israel and the behaviour of Israel itself.

Israel also has some of the most sophisticated intelligence capabilities on the planet. Consider that Ghislaine Maxwell has connections to Israeli intelligence. Having evidence of a bunch of politicians and powerful people having sex with children tends to create a certain element of influence.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

Hamas could argue that the IDF is hiding behind their civilian population as well. It’s simply not a coherent defense for indiscriminate violence, you can’targue that one side is collateral damage and the other are victims.

Israel claims they are only striking “based on intelligence” but its obvious from the reports inside Gaza that this is not true, they’re bombing at random with the explicit goal of punishing Gazan civilians for being blockaded in Gaza with Hamas.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

They’ll just end up killing many more civilians than Hamas has murdered and cementing the next generation of extremists.

That’s basically Netanyahu’s entire MO. This attack has been a real boon for his brand of politics, especially given his recently waning support and legal troubles.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

So genocidal slaughter then, sounds about what one would expect.

An invasion would bring heavy casualties on both sides and questions about whether Israel can devise an exit strategy for the conflict

I found this a bit amusing in a grim way, in what universe has Israel ever indicated that they have or want an exit plan from Gaza or apartheid occupation? They want to own Gaza/Palestine, theynow have an excuse to rampage and slaughter on a new level so they’re taking it.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

Palestine is effectively an open air prison, it is occupied for all intents and purposes and Israelis have colonized progressively more and more land, regardless of any kind of empty political gestures.

Israel has a right to exist, not a right to run an apartheid state.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

If being attacked entitles one to retaliate with violence, then Israel has earned the attack that happened by miles.

There has been none of this kind of outrage when Israeli MPs and soldiers brutalize Palestinians, kill international reporters, bomb news stations and residential centers, indiscrimnately kill women and children.

If you don’t believe that violence warrants violent and wanton reprisal, then you should be against the Israelis laying siege to Gaza.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

And yet there’s justification for what Israel does, Israel who has all the power here. I can’t speak further with someone this hypocritical.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

Yes, the killing of civilians is never acceptable, which is why we should stand with Israel while they bomb kids.

Israel’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 wasn’t an “empty political gesture”. Far from it. So far from it.

Gaza is blockaded, the people cannot leave. It is a prison.

Don’t believe me, take it from the Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant:

“I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly.” (Source)

Is it any wonder the median age in Gaza is 18 years old when this is the attitude of Israeli’s towards the whole strip? Israel has the power in this situation, this is clear from the fact that they can literally cut off these critical supplies to the entire region at will. And this is how they use that power; to indiscriminately punish the people of Gaza.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

Absolutely, all those dead Palestinian children, totally justified. It’s Israel that has the right to exist, if only someone would tell Palestinians that their kids come second maybe they’d finally shut up about them dying, huh? Getting so uppity about some collateral damage, about being blockaded without food, electricity or water, about being routinely bombed with no recourse.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

No, I’m agreeing with you, these Palestinian children got what they deserved. Israel is justified in using their overwhelming power and control of the situation to punish all of Gaza. You convinced me.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

So Israel is justified in punishing civilians indiscriminately, en mass, but the same brutality from Hamas is unacceptable to you. Think that over to yourself.

If what you’re arguing for Israel is true, that they have a right to starve and kill children because of an attack, then why have Palestinians no earned that right? What makes them lesser of human rights in your mind?

Jenin: Palestinian boy killed during Israeli assault was unarmed

Israeli military admits killing Palestinian toddler by mistake, closes initial investigation

Israeli military admits shooting 16-year-old Palestinian girl, calls it ‘unintentional’

Perhaps Hamas should call all their brutality “unintentional” and that will make it ok in your eyes? “Whoopsie, precisely headshot a kid. It’s the terrorists fault.” If you’re willing to hold all of Gaza accountable for Hamas, why would all Israeli’s not be held accountable for their own brutal military? Israel is even supposedly a democracy.

These examples are from the last year, but this is not some new phenomenon. Israel has a long history of brutalizing the Palestinian people and assassinating any leaders that appear.

Imagine if Hamas went into a Jewish synagogue and treated people like this: [1], [2], [3], [4] But these are Israeli police heros fighting a brave battle against unarmed women and old men human animals, right?

How quickly was the murder of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh swept under the rug? An unarmed journalist, shot in the back of the head by IDF. No one gives a shit.

So as Gazans and Palestinians get starved and bombed out of existence over the course of decades, tell me why they have less human rights than what you afford Israelis? You cannot argue from a humanitarian perspective for Israel and then completely flip your script when it comes to the human rights of Palestinians. You cannot hold Palestinian children to account for the actions of Hamas and then not do the same for Israeli civilians and the IDF. And if that’s unpalatable to you, perhaps consider revising your blind support for Israel’s brutal apartheid tactics.

I don’t know why this topic breaks people’s brains so hard, people will just give Israel a complete blank check to literally do whatever they want for 60 years but as soon as their chickens come home to roost it’s the Palestinian civilians fault. Suddenly they simply won’t draw any kind of distinction between Hamas and literal children when it comes to who is justifiable to punish.

And then the only way anyone can address me raising these criticisms is to assert that I’m arguing Israel doesn’t have a right to exist. But who is actually at more of risk of being wiped off the face of the earth? The Israelis with their unlimited global support, wealth and Iron Dome? Or the Gazans who are trapped in Gaza and can literally have their vital resources cut off at a moments notice?

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

I’m simply asking you to apply the same standards you apply to Palestine to Israel. You talk about an “impossible line” for Israel, how much more impossible is the situation for Palestinians? Israel has been demolishing homes, bombing entire apartment blocks and news stations, destroying crops, shooting women, children and unarmed reporters, raiding holy sites etc. they have been doing for decades exactly what Hamas has done but on an even larger scale with more money, support and military options and with far less humanitarian cost. And yet because it’s done under the “respectable” flag of a nation state it’s all excusable, all “bad apples”.

These stories I linked, how many have you honestly even heard of from the past year? They’re a blip on the radar. By contrast, every morning for the past week the attack in Israel has been the headline from NPR to Fox, all of them reporting western governments vowing support for Israel’s campaign to cut off aid and supplies to Gazans and invade to wipe the “human animals” out. There’s been a mobilization of hundreds of thousands of Israeli military personnel, Israeli airstrikes have killed 1,200 Gazans this week. That’s NPR this morning, not “jihadist propaganda”. You can’t just handwave away the reality of profound suffering in Gaza at the hands of the Israeli regime because it’s inconvenient when it comes to trying to justify Israel’s actions.

Israel has ten times the power here, and yet you’re willing to justify their brutality and apartheid as them having no choice, instead you act like Palestine has the power to resolve this while having no assumed right to retaliate themselves or even ability to move, negotiate or govern autonomously. It’s been close to a decade since Israel refused to negotiate with even the legitimate Palestinian leadership itself. How are you suppose to believe Israel has a genuine interest in peace?

Netanyahu is the one who funded Hamas, so Israel is literally the one that created this situation. And now as they bomb the already-bombed-out rubble of Gaza, how do you see that changing the hearts and minds of Palestinians? Peace has never been the goal for Israel, it’s about colonization and genocide. They have no interest in ever living alongside Palestinians (who have just as much a right to their homeland as anyone) or creating a unified state in which Palestinians and Israelis have equal rights. They’re never going to draw any distinction between Hamas and the people of Palestine, these recent events have proved that beyond any doubt.

Do they have the power to pursue peace? Yep. Will they ever? Nope. Israel either needs to leave occupied territory and remove all their settlers from Gaza and Palestine, or agree to grant Palestinians a true seat at the table as equals, not as a subclass relegated to an open air prison, not as “Hamas collaboraters” and collateral damage. This is Israel’s responsibility because, as we see, they have all the true territorial and military power here. Palestinians have none.

I’d challenge you to honestly ask yourself how would see this situation if the tables were turned, if it were a Hamas government oppressing a blockaded, starving Israeli population.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

I mean, if you pen people into an area, blockade critical resources, bulldoze their homes, drop bombs on them, shoot women and children, raid their holy places arbitrary and tear gas people at worship you create an environment where people will organize and resist violently.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago (edited 1 year ago)

You have to look at the power balance. Israelis shoot people for throwing rocks, they bomb civilian city centers for rocket attacks that get reliably shot down by the iron dome, they tear gas mosques because they don’t like people “gathering”. Israel has killed more Palestinian children alone than Palestinians have killed Israelis total.

It’s not that Hamas are blameless, it’s that Israel has all the power here, so they bear the responsibility for pursuing a better alternative then simply murdering people and shutting down homes and businesses to punish the population.

Consider if your home town was being slowly taken over by some powerful outside force, your child or sibling killed, your house bulldozed so the occupiers could build their own colonies. Would you not feel you have a right to defend yourself? Or would you lay down and take it?

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

In some ways, yes, certain factions within the US government have been untrustworthy. However, I think people do not understand that China is still on a completely different level. There’s a reason that the US is broadly trusted by its allies (or was, largely, up until the recent decade of overt campaign of internal sabotage).

To compare the US and China is like comparing Kent State to Tienanmen Square. Were they both violations of fundamental human liberty? Yes. Are they at all comparable as reflections of the viability of each respective state’s potential to sustain human liberty? No.

The US is in a conflict with itself, between far-right, corporate factions and those groups that actually defend some semblance of democratic liberty. This fact is the proof of the difference, that some meaningful element of democracy does exist in the US. The US has the ability to course correct. In China rule has been consolidated under a single man, unchallenged now, who has created hundreds of prison camps and a surveillance state unmatched even by the US. He ran literal execution vans in his run up to power.

Convincing people that the crimes committed by China against its own people and those they’ve colonized are normal is a way of lessening the seriousness with which those crimes are regarded. You have to ask yourself if that’s really the goal you want to be serving. You’re not required to sing the praises of the US, but acknowledging the meaningful degree of difference is critical to preventing the world sliding further into an authoritarian paradigm.

raccoona_nongrata, 1 year ago

Yes, and this is why the experience of individuals can’t be taken as an indication of whether there is or isn’t a problem.

China is a huge country with a long history and cultures of its own, the people there are like anywhere else mainly concerned with just living their day to day life. But we learned from the middle of the last century that people can be living a relatively normal life directly adjacent to some of the most heinous crimes against humanity our species has ever seen.

There’s a lot of value that the people of China could contribute, culturally and economically, if they were in a position to actually freely and openly engage with the rest of the world in an honest way. Some incredible cinema, for example, came out of China prior to the new age of censorship and hyper-aggressive information control brought in by Xi. I just wish that the CCP was out of the picture so that could happen again, China has so much more to offer.