this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2023
697 points (96.0% liked)

politics

19072 readers
4288 users here now

Welcome to the discussion of US Politics!

Rules:

  1. Post only links to articles, Title must fairly describe link contents. If your title differs from the site’s, it should only be to add context or be more descriptive. Do not post entire articles in the body or in the comments.

Links must be to the original source, not an aggregator like Google Amp, MSN, or Yahoo.

Example:

  1. Articles must be relevant to politics. Links must be to quality and original content. Articles should be worth reading. Clickbait, stub articles, and rehosted or stolen content are not allowed. Check your source for Reliability and Bias here.
  2. Be civil, No violations of TOS. It’s OK to say the subject of an article is behaving like a (pejorative, pejorative). It’s NOT OK to say another USER is (pejorative). Strong language is fine, just not directed at other members. Engage in good-faith and with respect! This includes accusing another user of being a bot or paid actor. Trolling is uncivil and is grounds for removal and/or a community ban.
  3. No memes, trolling, or low-effort comments. Reposts, misinformation, off-topic, trolling, or offensive. Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.
  4. Vote based on comment quality, not agreement. This community aims to foster discussion; please reward people for putting effort into articulating their viewpoint, even if you disagree with it.
  5. No hate speech, slurs, celebrating death, advocating violence, or abusive language. This will result in a ban. Usernames containing racist, or inappropriate slurs will be banned without warning

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.

That's all the rules!

Civic Links

Register To Vote

Citizenship Resource Center

Congressional Awards Program

Federal Government Agencies

Library of Congress Legislative Resources

The White House

U.S. House of Representatives

U.S. Senate

Partnered Communities:

News

World News

Business News

Political Discussion

Ask Politics

Military News

Global Politics

Moderate Politics

Progressive Politics

UK Politics

Canadian Politics

Australian Politics

New Zealand Politics

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
 

Former President Barack Obama cautioned against ignoring the complexities of the Israel-Hamas war, warning that “all of us are complicit.”

“If you want to solve the problem, then you have to take in the whole truth. And you then have to admit nobody’s hands are clean, that all of us are complicit to some degree,” he said in an excerpted interview with Pod Save America released Saturday.

top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Rhoeri@lemmy.world 142 points 1 year ago (9 children)
[–] PetDinosaurs@lemmy.world 36 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (23 children)

Thank you so much.

This is way more complex than it's getting credit for.

It always has been.

Anyway, I miss having a better leader. He was just so presidential. Not perfect, but no one can be.

load more comments (23 replies)
load more comments (8 replies)
[–] TinyPizza@kbin.social 79 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

This is bad news for Israels current course of action. When the guy who was popular (enough that the current guy could "best friend" his coat tails into office) starts saying this stuff loud enough for everyone to hear, it's intentional. This looks like more subtle public distancing and changing of narrative.

The former president argued that it was important to acknowledge multiple seemingly contradictory truths: Hamas’ actions were “horrific,” but “the occupation and what’s happening to Palestinians” were also “unbearable.”
Obama previously spoke out on the conflict, saying in a statement that any actions by Israel that ignore the human cost of the war against Hamas “could ultimately backfire.”

Israel and it's supporters should be sobered by this soft diplomacy. It's very much aimed at them and the timing should make it clear that they are being isolated.

[–] TimeSquirrel@kbin.social 58 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

Funny they never say this kinda shit or act upon it when they have any actual power. Like Eisenhower and his military industrial complex speech.

[–] mlg@lemmy.world 12 points 1 year ago (5 children)

It's also pretty rich coming from guy who thought drone collateral was not a problem in Afghanistan.

He's lucky we wasn't president during the last time there was a huge Israeli-Palestinian blowout, otherwise he'd have a 1:1 comparison with Biden.

[–] rbesfe@lemmy.ca 21 points 1 year ago (7 children)

Voluntarily releasing reports on civilian casualties doesn't seem like they thought it wasn't a problem

load more comments (7 replies)
load more comments (4 replies)
[–] dingleberry@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Presidents/Prime Ministers become beacons of morality once out of office.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 51 points 1 year ago (19 children)

the babies on respirators in gaza hospitals are.

[–] bingbong@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 1 year ago

Hamas is hiding in their premature baby bodies

load more comments (18 replies)
[–] dx1@lemmy.world 50 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Honestly, the whole truth of the situation is that the subjugation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians was a direct byproduct/prerequisite of the creation of the Israeli state. We will get nowhere if nobody addresses this fundamental aggravant at the heart of this conflict, that formed the basis for the militarized apartheid system that exists there today. These are just pithy quips about "nobody's perfect" coming from somebody with olympic swimming pools of blood on his hands.

The reality's that the only people with the real vision to create peace in this situation have long been sidelined from the political discussion. I'm really encouraged looking at stuff like https://www.odsi.co/en/ that actually understands the fundamental problems going on here. We'll get absolutely nowhere listening to the political establishment in the U.S. or Israel that spent most of the last century manufacturing this situation.

[–] GBU_28@lemm.ee 19 points 1 year ago

Yes but none of us were alive when it happened. Now there'sa nuclear armed ethnostate literally surrounded by (to them) existential enemies, and it just so happens they speak English gud and like the same brand of deity, and let wonder woman move to Hollywood.

Shit is fucked.

[–] coffee_poops@sh.itjust.works 44 points 1 year ago (71 children)

This is bullshit. Israel's response is completely disproportionate. 2000+ children are dead in Gaza.

[–] jimbo@lemmy.world 17 points 1 year ago (28 children)

I don't see where Obama said anything about things being proportionate, and I don't know what "proportionate" has to do with the fact that heinous acts have been taken by both sides.

load more comments (28 replies)
[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 12 points 1 year ago (9 children)

Terrorists consider civilian casualties to be a scorecard. Hamas benefits when there's Israeli civilian casualties. Hamas also benefits when there's Palestinian civilian casualties.

That's the whole point of taking hostages isn't it? To force Israel into a ground campaign which will cause Palestinian civilian casualties.

The military forces of civilized nations don't consider civilian casualties to be a victory no matter which side it's on. They have an objective and need to achieve that objective while minimizing civilian casualties. The objective of the IDF is to free the hostages. They will make an effort to minimize civilian casualties. But they must achieve that objective even while know civilian causalities are a certainty even when they make an to keep those casualties to a minimum.

This is the nature of war. And this is a war Hamas started. And remember there could be significantly fewer casualties (and a humanitarian ceasefire) if Hamas released the hostages.

But they won't do that because their objective is to maximize the number of Palestinian casualties because many people look at those casualties and become angry and want to support them.

Netanyahu will lose power because of 1400 Israeli deaths. Both Israeli and Palestinian civilian casualties are considered to be a failure by Israelis.

Both Israeli and Palestinian civilian casualties are considered a success by Hamas. They are psychopaths that know how people react to these numbers.

[–] coffee_poops@sh.itjust.works 14 points 1 year ago (6 children)

Constantly bombs refugee camps, schools, and hospitals This is just war, bro. Yeah we have the 4th most sophisticated and accurate military on earth but we just can't help hitting civilians who just happen to be a minority in their own land...

Dude, the logical hoops you'll jump through to justify a genocide is extremely concerning.

Holocaust scholars all over the world have even condemned the bloodshed.

This isn't the cost of war. It's punishment. It's imperialism.

load more comments (6 replies)
load more comments (8 replies)
load more comments (69 replies)
[–] kittenzrulz123@lemmy.world 41 points 1 year ago (29 children)

Both sides may have fault however there is a fundamental difference between Israel and Hamas. Hamas is a relatively small terrorist group from a region (Gaza) that has been oppressed and had food, water, and electricity limited (even before the war). Meanwhile Israel has one of the largest militaries and occupies Gaza. The death toll and injuries are not even compatible nor the sheer scale of the war crimes committed by Israel.

load more comments (29 replies)
[–] Sir_Premiumhengst@lemmy.world 31 points 1 year ago (2 children)
load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Veedem@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago (11 children)

Well thought out response from someone who knows how to captivate an audience. I miss his leadership even if there were some key flaws during his terms (e.g. the gross overuse of drone strikes).

Ultimately, no president is perfect but I also believe their ability to be a figure head who can make the public look inward, from time to time, is important.

Trump did nothing to lead. He just spread anger and hostility. Biden, while he means well, has never been the beet public speaker (both in presence and in avoiding putting his foot in his mouth).

load more comments (11 replies)
[–] spudwart@spudwart.com 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

“It’s complicated” is no excuse to be arming an already powerful nation with our tax dollars to make the situation more “complicated.”

If it’s so damn complicated, maybe we shouldn’t be sending arms and tax dollars directly over to Israel, but rather send humanitarian aid to both sides instead.

Taking a side in a complicated conflict of which many people don’t fully understand is an unwise decision, and using tax dollars to arm one or even both sides of a conflict we don’t fully understand is unethical.

[–] bonus_crab@lemmy.world 10 points 1 year ago

Its their job to understand it, and they do. what they understand is that while supporting israel has a monetary cost , it secures our trade routes, which egypt has tried to close purely because 'fuck you' through the Mediterranean and puts pressure on the rest of the middle east to support the petrol dollar.

If the arab countries were remotely as friendly as israel, itd diminish their value as an ally potentially to the extent that we wouldnt have to overlook the atrocities they commit. The reality is that ISIS and Hezbollah and Hamas are 100x worse. Ad soon as Iran gets nukes, theyre going to become another north korea, potentially a catalyst for WW3, and we need an ally in the region as leverage to prevent that.

What this latest conflict has shown is that they will absolutely make suicidally stupid attacks that will result in massive casualties to their own people, so long as it advances their goal of genociding jews and anyone else thats not an arab.

Say what you want about israel, but theyve been on the brink of kicking netanyahu and his racist ass out of office for years. Hes in a very similar situation legally to Trump. Hamas's attack has virtually ensured that won't happen now , as the nation enters a state of emergency, and theyve proved his fear mongering true.

load more comments
view more: next ›