this post was submitted on 07 Dec 2023
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President Joe Biden pleaded with Republicans on Wednesday for a fresh infusion of military aid for Ukraine, warning that a victory for Russia over Ukraine would leave Moscow in position to attack NATO allies and could draw U.S. troops into a war.

Biden spoke as the United States planned to announce $175 million in additional Ukraine aid from its dwindling supply of money for Kyiv. He signaled a willingness to make significant changes to U.S. migration policy along the border with Mexico to try to draw Republican support.

"If Putin takes Ukraine, he won’t stop there," Biden said. Putin will attack a NATO ally, he predicted, and then "we’ll have something that we don't seek and that we don't have today: American troops fighting Russian troops," Biden said.

“We can’t let Putin win,” he said, prompting an angry reaction from Moscow.

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[–] blazera@kbin.social 129 points 11 months ago (5 children)

I still remember that time republicans spent 4th of July in Moscow.

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[–] Jaysyn@kbin.social 76 points 11 months ago (2 children)
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[–] eran_morad@lemmy.world 60 points 11 months ago

LOL “don’t let ur boss win!”

[–] JJROKCZ@lemmy.world 49 points 11 months ago

He’s pleading with traitors to not be traitors, I don’t see it happening

[–] blunderworld@lemmy.ca 47 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I really hope that Ukraine doesn't lose their support. If America has to choose between supporting Ukraine in defending themselves from a Russian invasion, and supporting Israel's obvious goal of carrying out a genocide, it seems like a no brainer to me...

[–] agitatedpotato@lemmy.world 33 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

The problem is for the American government the answer is also a no brainer, but they don't agree with you on the specifics of that no brainer. Israel will always get what it asks for because its a de facto US army base. Look at how the rest of the MIC hamstrings the budget, fails audits, then gets budget increases.

[–] blunderworld@lemmy.ca 16 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You're probably right. I just wish we didn't live in a world where innocent human lives are often considered the cost of doing business.

[–] agitatedpotato@lemmy.world 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Many of the evils of buisness are hidden in what economists would call 'externalities'. Which in essence are consequences that you don't have to pay for. Human cost has been factored in from the begining and named such that it sounds 'external' to the system when really it's part and parcel of it. Something like most of the forbes 500 would not be profitable if they were liable for their own externalities. Buisnesses on every level are subsidized by the taxpayer and the degradation of local resources or environment that should have been for the public.

[–] oatscoop@midwest.social 5 points 11 months ago (4 children)

-- and "stabilizing element" in the middle east. Israel gets a lot of leeway because they've proven they have a capable military, intelligence agency, etc. And they're not at all squeamish about using them.

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[–] krotti@sh.itjust.works 10 points 11 months ago (6 children)

Just curious, where does the 'genocide' come from regarding Israel? The stuff I've read usually points a very different picture.

[–] blunderworld@lemmy.ca 23 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

To those down voting this person, I really don't think its called for here. There's nothing to suggest they're some troll trying to spread misinformation. The details of this conflict have been kept intentionally vague; coming to a different conclusion doesn't necessarily imply bad intentions.

Try to remember the down vote isn't a 'fuck you' button. Let's not be like reddit.

[–] blunderworld@lemmy.ca 15 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I'm not a war correspondent or anything, so my opinion is based exclusively on reading accounts of the conflict which I consider to be reputable. That said, when you compare the death toll on either side of the conflict -- 17,000 dead Palestinians so far, as compared to the 1,200 Israelis killed during Hamas' Oct 7 incursion -- its easy to see why so many experts have concluded that Israel's intentions go far beyond retaliation against Hamas alone.

And that's without even mentioning Israels controversial approach to military targets, the lies they've been caught in throughout the conflict, and so on.

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[–] Habahnow@sh.itjust.works 13 points 11 months ago

The bombing of innocent civilians in Gaza in order to destroy Hamas is the genocide being referred too. For Israel, it seems killing innocent civilians is a bonus. Israel's allies, including the US, are starting to get irritated with the fact that Israel is basically completely disregard for civilian life in Gaza. Israel's response is basically, we need to kill off Hamas because they want genocide of Israel (not certain of the specifics of Hamas' goals, but I would definitely that they are generally terrorist group that has control of Gaza, and do want to see Israel fall) so killing civilians is collateral damage. The issue though is that Israel has helped prop up Hamas to keep as an enemy that they think they can control, and use the existence of that enemy as a reason to continue to push out Palestinians from their land. This continued harassment of Palestinians pushes them to join Hamas, and drives Hamas' actions. This is also partly why Israelis are angry at Netanyahu(?) and his administration, he claimed the power is was scooping up domestically, and using it to exert control on Palestinian land, would keep Israel safe. Instead, they've had the biggest attack ever with many Israelis dead.

[–] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 12 points 11 months ago (1 children)

A critical analysis of past Israeli positions and current actions, basically. In brief, Israel refuses any solution that lets the people of Palestine stay, they can't leave because they have nowhere to go, and Israel's military policy is that it's okay to kill them. The easiest path forward for Israel is genocide, and its current actions are congruent with that. (E.g. directing civilians to a place of refuge, and then bombing it.)

Remember, even Germany's Third Reich didn't set out to perpetrate a genocide, but circumstances drove them to it.

[–] Blue_Morpho@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Remember, even Germany’s Third Reich didn’t set out to perpetrate a genocide, but circumstances drove them to it.

Whaaaa? Mein Kampf was written in 1925. Genocide was planned from before Nazis were even in power.

No circumstances drove them to it.

[–] SwingingTheLamp@midwest.social 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I chose those words carefully, and said Third Reich, not Hitler. Even the moniker "the final solution" comes from "the final solution to the Jewish question," which implies that it had tried other solutions previously. The Nazis wanted Jews out of Germany, and as such had done things like encourage Jewish emigration to Palestine before the war. Then they escalated to pogroms and work camps, and before deciding on a Holocaust because they were ~~losing the war and~~ (edit, in retrospect not the correct interpretation) running low on resources, and that was the most expedient way to clear Jews out of Germany.

It's worth remembering that history, since Israel now seems to be on a similar trajectory with Palestinians.

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[–] cheese_greater@lemmy.world 42 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

What a fucking disgraceful and monstrous bunch. This is a scourge that must be goddamn excised, each one of them.

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[–] phoneymouse@lemmy.world 41 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Where is the military industrial complex when you need them? Come on guys, we know you want the bomb money. Send your lobbyists to threaten Republicans with a lot of ads about how they’re un-Patriotic and anti-American for opposing new war funding.

[–] worldsayshi@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Maybe they realize there will be more war and profits to make if Putin gets what he wants.

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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 39 points 11 months ago (3 children)

I do wish that the United States would separate support for giving aid for the different countries. They just decided to lump it all together which is disingenuous.

Giving aid to Ukraine is not the same as giving aid to Israel, for one thing Israel super doesn't need it. They're more than capable of carrying out a genocide all on their own thank you very much. Ukraine meanwhile is actually fighting a genuine aggressor.

[–] makyo@lemmy.world 11 points 11 months ago

It's such a shitty moral quandary. We know all the arguments for combining them and they all make sense from a strategic standpoint but you're absolutely right that they are in no way similar.

I really think Biden should do more of this kind of thing - making the public case for support in Ukraine. His admin just doesn't do enough communicating from the bully pulpet and this is just the kind of message that would really benefit from it. That was the best thing Obama did as POTUS: explaining things to the public in an adult way, trusting we'd get it.

The Biden admin should be creating opportunities to distinguish him as the rational adult in the room. Let the GOP do their mudslinging. POTUS should be repeating 'extremely cheap way to fight a long time enemy' 'defeating Russia without American soldiers' blood'. Seriously, administrations during the cold war would salivate at this opportunity to put Russia on its heels.

Not to mention 'averting a larger war' when the GOP is trying to paint him as a warmonger, and 'averting a nuclear crisis' when he needs to show he's got strength even in his 80s.

But the Dems seem to always be too concerned about catering to public opinion instead of using their vast resources to shape it.

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[–] banneryear1868@lemmy.world 37 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (2 children)

Ask the Kurds what it's like to be America's ally.

[–] Fuckfuckmyfuckingass@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago

No friends but the mountains.

[–] paddirn@lemmy.world 28 points 11 months ago (1 children)

A goddamn disgrace AND they're hurting America in the long-term. If America can't even back up Ukraine in delivering them aid, literally a drop in the bucket compared to how much we spend on our own military, what the hell are we good for anymore? American foreign policy is so dysfunctional and schizophrenic, we're absolutely unreliable thanks to these dumb Republicans doing the bidding of Putin. We're getting the best return on our investment in helping the Ukrainians compared to most of the Cold War era spending on our own military. We could spend 20 years throwing money into the trash trying to help Afghanistan and yet somehow only 2 years of fighting in Ukraine is too much?

[–] cashews_best_nut@lemmy.world 23 points 11 months ago (3 children)

we’re absolutely unreliable

You've always been unreliable allies. You entered WWI & II only after the wars were starting to be won. You're closest allies (UK) fought the Battle of Britain and suffered the Blitz while your congress sat on it's arse proclaiming neutrality and isolationism.

There's nothing unusual about this and the people of Europe know this. The Western Betrayal in Poland. France leaving NATO becaus eit didn't trust the US nuclear umbrella.

You're Congress has always been a bunch of self-serving cowards. You're people were supportive of Hitler in the early days of Nazism. Same shit, different Century.

[–] Asafum@feddit.nl 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

I wish we would outlaw propaganda in public schools, we're brainwashed to believe we're The Best Country In The World™ and that we always Save The Day.™ That somehow we're always the Good Guys and never do anything selfishly.

Then you get out of highschool and if you're "unfortunate" enough to learn about our actual history, and the actual reasoning we get involved in xyz, it completely shatters your image of the country you live in and work for.

I may love my neighbors, my family, my friends, I love people, but God do I hate the American government mostly because I hate the obsessive wealth hoarding greedy assholes the infest the government for their own benefit and to every one else's detriment.

[–] AlexisFR@jlai.lu 6 points 11 months ago
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[–] lori@cambrian.social 18 points 11 months ago (4 children)

@MicroWave I agree with President Biden. To let Putin win is to let the Republicans win. That is one thing that absolutely must not be allowed to happen.

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[–] Pratai@lemmy.ca 16 points 11 months ago

“Plead with republicans….”

See, there’s your problem. You can’t appeal to their logical or reasonable or compassionate or moral or virtuous side-

they have none.

[–] BlackSkinnedJew@lemmynsfw.com 15 points 11 months ago

Ukrainians fighting and spending blood against Russians armed with US arms, sounds like a good plan to send more arms to them.

[–] profdc9@lemmy.world 15 points 11 months ago

Republicans hold our own government hostage by refusing to pass continuing resolutions and allowing government debt to be paid. You expect them to give a damn about anyone else?

[–] theodewere@kbin.social 11 points 11 months ago

Republicans have to take advantage of the chance to hold some innocent people hostage, so they can steal some more for their mega-wealthy backers

[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 6 points 11 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:


Biden spoke as the United States planned to announce $175 million in additional Ukraine aid from its dwindling supply of money for Kyiv.

Russia's RIA news agency quoted the Russian ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, as saying that Biden's comments on a potential U.S.-Russia conflict were "provocative rhetoric unacceptable for a responsible nuclear power".

However, Senate Republicans later on Wednesday blocked Democratic-backed legislation that would have provided billions of dollars in new security assistance for Ukraine and Israel, among other international concerns, saying they wanted to press their point about the importance of tighter border policy.

"We're going to keep making the case that it would be a historic mistake for the United States to walk away from Ukraine at this moment and we believe that argument will ultimately penetrate and prevail," he said.

This means that if Congress does not provide new funds to buy replacement equipment, the U.S., Ukraine and arms makers may have to take other steps to backfill stocks.

House and Senate Republicans are backing renewed construction of a border wall, former President Donald Trump's signature goal, while deeming large numbers of migrants ineligible for asylum and reviving a controversial policy under which asylum seekers are told to remain in Mexico while their immigration case is heard.


The original article contains 607 words, the summary contains 213 words. Saved 65%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

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