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Romaine Voigt's avatar

What a cosmically massive piece of horribly bad luck to have Netanyahu and Trump on the world stage at the same time. Both are sociopaths driven entirely by self interest and megalomania, propped up by morally and intellectually bankrupt sycophants at least as crazy as they are and all-in.

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Eric Schlecht's avatar

I fully agree in the danger that Mimi BetOnYahoo presents to America. Thanks to Jim for mentioning the Iraq WMD connection! There is still video on Youtube of Bibi testifying to our Congress in 2002 about Sadaam's imminent destruction of the middle east; since his rhetoric worked on our leaders then, he has never stopped.

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Elwyn Hudson's avatar

While driving through the Midwest I see these idiots with an Israeli flag along side their American and Christian flag. As if Israel should get special privileges from the USA. Above other countries in the area. And another war has what these special privileges has led to.

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James Burnham's avatar

Jim, you wrote: "Other than genocidal islamophobes who are happy to trade American lives for dead Muslims, who really thinks going to war with Iran and their proxies is a great idea? Anyone?"

Jim, I can assure you that I am neither genocidal toward nor fearful of Muslims. I am an equal opportunity anti-fascist and anti-theocrat, fascism and theocracy being indistinguishable in terms of their unlimited evil propensity to murder and oppress in the name of false and imaginary authority. It is manifestly clear that certain Muslims, just like certain Christian crusaders, inquisitors, and white nationalists, are intent on murdering Jews (and any other infidel) according to blatant religious madness. They are not to be feared, they are to be despised. I am not an Islamophobe. I detest Islam and all other religions or systems of false beliefs. But it is wrong to sweep under the rug of 'Islamophobia' the existential truth that theocratic Iran and Hamas, for example, deserve rational recognition. Anyone can be next on their list. Israel, like any isolated and targeted entity, can take only so much and has already suffered beyond any imaginal limit. So, yes, let there be peace if you can swing it. But don't hold your breath, and don't jump to accuse the actual victims and their supporters as having irrational fears. Both-sides-ism is a very dangerous and foolish error. You might as well say, let Putin have Ukraine. And I know you do not favor that.

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Jim Stewartson's avatar

It’s not both-sides-ism. I’m in no way defending the theocratic regime of Iran, much less Hamas. However, I don’t detest Islam or Muslims any more than I detest Jews or Christians, which is one half each of my family. I do not agree with religion, but it is a fact of the world and I think it’s insane for different versions of the same book to drag us all into a holy war.

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James Burnham's avatar

Thank you for the reply. I will point out that the holy war, the Jihad, is dominated, both in intensity and in numerical support, by one of the versions. There will be no justice and no peace until secular democracy void of all religious poison prevails. We've known this since the Enlightenment, and the Founders did their best, but we quickly forget.

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john king (MY HUMBLE OPINION)'s avatar

Incredible. This is an olive branch to the fringes of society. An appeal to see through the fog of your personal beliefs, in the interest of absolutely everyone concerned. Trump is out of control. He is not intelligent enough to to play a leading role on the world stage. At the end of the day, he will sell out every special interest group that supported him, in exchange for 30 pieces of silver. Trump couldn't care less if you are a minority, a white supremacist or a Christian zealot, because to him, you are all just marks in the greatest con of all time. Cut your losses and dump the chump, before he sets the entire world ablaze.

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Mary W's avatar

Agreed. Dump Trump. Evict the (felon) chump from public housing.

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Jim Finley's avatar

Not a hate-reader, but a retired military officer (USMC) and someone who's been watching geopolitics for fifty years.

Netanyahu has been saying Iran was a few months away from having nuclear weapons for more than twenty years. It's always impending - "Be afraid! Be very afraid!" - and he always has a poster on an easel to point at but never shows any actual evidence.

I'm not an isolationist. For example, I think we ought to be giving Ukraine a hell of a lot more support, honoring the promise we made to guarantee their territorial integrity in exchange for them giving up their nukes. I also believe in Israel's right to exist at peace with neighbors.

Nonetheless, Bibi Netanyahu has been duping and using the U.S. for way too long.

When I was a kid, one of my little brothers would pick a fight and then try to hide behind me. That's Netanyahu. If my brother was genuinely being victimized, I protected him, but if not, I made him fight his own fights. That's what we need to do.

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john king (MY HUMBLE OPINION)'s avatar

Love it. Right on the money.

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Jim Stewartson's avatar

Every single word.

And thank you for your service.

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Jim Finley's avatar

It was my privilege, and more of the time than not it was a lot of fun. If I had a time machine I'd go back and do it again.

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