There is a difference between Hamas and the Palestinians. It's complicated. There were elections in 2006 and Hamas beat out the Fatah Party 44% to 41% but gained controlling seats in the government. The Fatah party was or is the PLO and they recognized Israel, Hamas, of course does not. Israel was moving settlers out of the occupied territories so there was a vacuum there and George Bush and Condaleeza Rice encouraged elections. They thought (good intentions) that democracy would win. The Palestinians were thinking they got a Unity Government but Hamas, surprise, surprise, broke the deal starting killing Fatah members and those who were still alive escaped to the West Bank.
There has not been an election in Gaza since 2006. Half the population is under 18 and weren't even alive when Hamas took over. They, of course, have grown up with Hamas propaganda. They have been under a 16 year blockage so everything for their daily lives comes in by truck and Hamas can say "look what we are providing for you , and all the other BS.
There are Palestinians living in Israel who are Israeli citizens. There are Israelis and Palestinians running businesses together, there is intermarriage. They share holy places, especially in Jerusalem. Palestinians were attacked in the temple during Ramadan as they were praying. That went on for several nights. There are Palestinians now being attacked in the West Bank.
Hamas is deadly, they are devoted to the removal of Israel and probably any Jew they can get their hands on. They must be eliminated. However, then what? There is no one that wants Palestinians removed from the earth than Benjamin Netanyahu.
As said, this is complicated. The problem is, people are putting this recent tragedy in a vacuum. They take sound bites from a moment in time and don't look any further. Young people have always demonstrated and I like their exuberance but they need to be better informed about what they are demonstrating for.
Rashida Tlaib is a Palestinian and I'm not a friend so have certainly never had a deep discussion with her about anything. She IS very far left and she is well aware of the Palestinian history and she is very emotional. I still have never gotten the feeling that she supports Hamas but the right likes to say that anyone who stands up for the Palestinians at any time or God forbid say ONE critical word against Israel is a terrorist. It's great politics.
So in the meantime, we have Israeli families burying their family members, people just going about their daily lives, young people at a festival, slaughtered by vile and evil people who should have been dealt with a long time ago.
Then, just a short distance away, we have the young doctor in Gaza, treating bleeding children at the hospital that is running out of supplies and room. He is treating his ten year old daughter. Their house was hit by an explosive. He is called to a room down the hall in that room there is the body of a six year old boy who has died from his wounds, and that boy is his son.
So, there is plenty of heartache to spread around. I'm sick and tired of it. It must be in our DNA, our lust for power, our indifference to the pain of others, the need to be right, they need to have things "our way". To try to get a handle of what is happening today you need to go back to 1948. Anyway you want to see it, it is a tragedy.
I'm not going to comment further on this subject , I've taken too much time already. I just pray it's over, Hamas will be destroyed and somehow clearer heads can prevail and Netanyahu is purges. A young Israeli girl who lost friends in the assault was asked how she felt about the retaliation. She said she wished for peace and was not going to live the rest of her life with hate in her heart.
Anyone weighing in on this (especially protesters) really REALLY need to understand the complete history of this conflict. Not just dating back to 1948 but going back a couple of millennia to the beginning.
I said I wouldn't comment again but I just now heard that one of the young women taken by Hamas butchers was just beheaded. I'm crying...I'm not lying...I'm not trying for drama, I am just heart sick. There is no deed that could be done by anyone, on any side, that can excuse this butchery. These kind of acts are carried out every day in so many places all over the world, and to what end? I am just devastated.
It’s both crushingly heartbreaking while making me feel maddeningly vengeful all in the same tangle of emotions. We heard of this as well a few hours ago. My wife sobbed as you are now.
This is what extreme hate and brutality does to people. That poor young woman did absolutely nothing to deserve what happened to her. Whoever did this to her has no soul.
It is extremely sad to simply realize that this is part of the human condition throughout time. There are those who love infinitely. And there are those that hate infinitely. And when the two cross paths bad things happen. I wish I had the solution.
Thank you for saying all of this. I am married to a Palestinian whose father and Mother were expelled from their homes in 1948. I have watched Israeli military exercises held in skies and lands of Lebanon. I have watched in horror as the Palestinian people have been exterminated. The invasion of the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Shatila as our Marines allowed Israel to exterminate 5,000 Palestinians in the night. I have seen the propaganda and media coverage that brands each person as an antisemitic if they do not agree with Israelis and their methods of killing. Do I wish Ill for the Israeli people? Absolutely not...no one deserves to be tortured, killed or maimed. But I am ashamed that this country condones genocide...
Now, I have heard from multiple sources that this stems from the expulsion of Palestinians so a canal can be built through the west bank where the Israeli and the USA will profit by bypassing the Suez Canal.
What I don't know is how I can make a difference in this world. So Adam, while I have the upmost respect for you, I cannot stand by what was said.
If the Israelis have been committing “genocide” against the Palestinians, they haven’t been very good at
it given that there are some 2 million Palestinians living in Israel proper. They may be second class citizens in some respects, but that is hardly “genocide,” any more than the limited blockade of Gaza was that would eventually have been relaxed but for the insane attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
Carlton ever hear of Sabra and Shatilla? Ever hear of the sniping of Palestinians by the settlers? Ever hear of the thousand of Palestinians that were terrorized and murdered to get to where Israel land mass is today? Just look at the amount of land that Palestinians have lost over the years beyond 1948. Where did they go? The world has not cared about the plight of the Palestinians and their misery...someone may pay attention now that it is too late.
Reply No. 2. The notion of a canal through the West Bank to bypass the Suez Canal is completely absurd for reasons of geography that should be obvious to anybody the least familiar with that area. Such a canal would lead to the Dead Sea, which is about 1,400 feet below sea level. Can your sources explain how ships would be raised back to sea level from there?
First of all the Dead sea is landlocked...it is not the reference...the canal would extend from the Red sea to the Mediteranean Sea...the amount of money generated would be astronomical if it bypassed the normal routes...look at the maps..
You stated "Now, I have heard from multiple sources that this stems from the expulsion of Palestinians so a canal can be built through the west bank where the Israeli and the USA will profit by bypassing the Suez Canal."
As I stated, a canal through the west bank would lead to the Dead Sea. Even if the Israeli and American capitalists were totally indifferent to the impact of their investments on Palestinians or others, they would not be so stupid as to build a canal to a salt lake 1,400 feet below sea level. This notion that you apparently believe is an example of factually absurd propaganda having no purpose other than to inflame gullible believers.
Since I am an American who is concerned about the welfare of people in many nations throughout Earth, I am not so fixated on the history of Palestine/Israel to know the details of Sabra and Shatilla. I do understand, however, is that there was a particularly intense guerilla style war being waged between loosely coordinated factions of Zionists and Palestinians, which resulted in many atrocities on both sides. But when you repeat inflammatory Palestinian propaganda about a canal through the West Bank, you lack credibility with me and, I suspect, most other Americans. If you want credibility, show respect for the whole truth.
I stated the west bank as being the the target when I should have said Gaza. You are correct in saying the west Bank would make no sense. I stand corrected. I would NEVER ever intentionally try to stir up or misdirect anyone intentionally. I just got mixed up. I apologize. Thank you for calling my attention to this.
The hope for a peaceful resolution of this issue is for people of all persuasions to acknowledge facts, and I thank you for doing so.
I have a background in civil engineering, and as such recognize that public works projects -- such as canals -- that are "profitable" generally benefit most people, but often harm minorities.
The truly "progressive" solution to that is government intervention that involves some degree of government mandated "mitigation" in the design of the facilities, as well as government mandated monetary compensation to the people harmed by the facilities, which enables them to move elsewhere if they so choose.
That is a principle that I have attempted to implement throughout my career as a civil engineer, without regard to the "identity" of any of the people affected -- for better or worse -- by infrastructure projects.
This problem is as old and complex as man. Israel is certainly in a tough spot--seen by the Palestinians as invaders „gifted“ land by the British after WWII settled by them hundreds (or thousands) of years before much like the US „gifted“ land to white Americans once inhabited by our own native people. And civilians in Gaza perhaps „should“ speak out or act against Hamas much like Germans „should“ have, but not all people have the courage to risk death or worse at the hands of their government. That said, Israel is the victim of a terrorist attack, and anyone who defends that should be called out immediately and loudly. And yes, the dems need to make this message in a full throated manner.
As I see it, one of the main problems is that most Americans are ignorant of the history of the Jewish people, especially recent history (since WWII). This is a problem with so many issues today--there is a history behind why we do what we do and believe what we believe (for example, our relationship with guns and religion) but most don’t know what that history is and so fall back on tribalism. It‘s understandable that people shy away from the topic--even I couldn‘t watch the Ken Burns special on the Holocaust--it was just too much during Covid and all our political unrest. The critical thing is to remember that 1) all life is sacred 2) anyone who uses civilians as human shields are committing war crimes, 3) everyone has a right to live in peace and to defend themselves, and 4)anyone who supports, encourages or condones the invasion, murder or kidnapping of civilians needs to be called out for supporting terrorism.
Campuses are full of far left voices, most of which become much quieter a year or two after graduation when maturity and a taste of the real world becomes part of peoples lives. Sometimes an unpopular political view is the right thing to support (such as the fight against apartheid in the 1970‘s and 80‘s), but it‘s often just ignorance or kids rebelling against their parents. Either way, it needs to be discussed, thoughtful questions asked and answers thoughtfully and honestly given.
I really want to understand how we can justify 8000 deaths, most of these just as innocent as the Israel deaths. I'm a solid moderate and just want to understand how and why war and an all out attack/killing is the only option?? This reminds me a bit of Vietnam where the younger generation protested the war and years later we learn how our leaders lied to all of us over and over again. I am not asking for a debate, just clarity on the why innocent lives are always the ones who are suffer on both sides. My heart breaks for both countries.
Well sadly, war is a terrible thing. Nobody wants anyone else to die, me especially. But unfortunately that’s not a choice in war in a dense urban area. But being in an urban area doesn’t grant you sanctuary from retaliation.
Instead of building military tunnels, Hamas should have built bomb shelters, and then not attacked. Every one of the Israeli and palestinians would today be alive
I’m Jewish and have family in Israel. I personally despise the Netanyahu government, and I put much of the blame on the Hamas attack on Netanyahu.
That said, it isn’t the peaceful protests that bother me. It’s that many of the college students are chanting the phrase, “from the river to the sea.”
Additionally, they refuse to acknowledge what Hamas did is terrorism. They raped and killed babies, children and women; that’s terrorism.
Furthermore, these students believe Israel deserves it. However, the Israeli’s killed are innocents, who just attended a concert and were mowed down like grass. This isn’t any different than the Palestinians being killed, yet these kids aren’t making a distinction between the Israeli government and the innocent people who were slaughtered.
Furthermore, the phrase “from the river to the sea” is Hama’s credo. It means we will drive every Jew out of Israel and into the sea: dead or alive.
Obviously, that will never happen before Israel completely annihilates Hamas and the Palestinians as well; mutually assured destruction (MAD).
Bottom line: apparently it’s only terror when Israeli’s commit heinous acts. What Hamas does is fine, even though their own charter says they will never recognize Israel or negotiate with Israel for a two state solution.
So when you ask why we can’t achieve peace, the answer is simple. For peace to exist, there needs to be two sides willing to achieve it. Hamas isn’t interested, and neither are the fanatical Israeli settlers and the Netanyahu government.
Personally, I believe Hamas and the right-wing Israeli’s deserve each other.
That said, the absence of war isn’t peace, which is why we see the same movie over and over again, like Groundhog Day. Hamas attacks, Israel retaliates harder, then then imposes even more draconian measures and restrictions, and eventually Hamas attacks again; two to three years later. Rinse, Lather, repeat!
Hopefully once this nonsense ends the world will demand a two state solution, or we stop giving aid to both sides.
This is so helpful ... I was listening to Tom Friedman and he had many of the same sentiments as you. I had no idea what "from the river to the sea" meant, wow. Also brings clarity in that both sides are equally to blame for choosing war over/over and over ... and as a result, the innocent pay the consequences. Very much appreciate your time, Robert!
The United Nations and most of the world has allowed Hamas terrorism to grow for years. No one wants innocent people to die. However Hamas is the elected government in Gaza. What would we do if Mexico and Canada were firing missiles into the U. S. everyday. People would cry out and demand action. It is easy to criticize Israel’s approach without offering a realistic solution to Hamas. After seeing over 1,300 of its citizens butchered, the equivalent to the U. S. Losing 40,000 citizens not one country has offered other solutions to Israel but to stop fighting and wait for the next terrorist attack. It’s Hamas that deliberately puts its population at risk.
Adam thank you so much for speaking the truth so forcibly.
I partially agree with your assessment, but comparing Gaza to Mexico is a bit of a stretch. We don’t control life in Mexico for average Mexicans. Israel, even after they left Gaza, still controls Gaza’s economy, borders, movements, water, electric and gas, etc...
And Israeli policies are stifling; not to mention the continued build up of settlements in the West Bank.
I do agree Hamas is a terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction, but so is Netanyahu and his right-wing government. Neither is interested in a two state solution. Netanyahu has kept the PA weak and impotent deliberately, playing both sides against each other as a distraction.
And this is the end result: Two obtuse governments unwilling to negotiate a peace process, mostly because Netanyahu and Hamas collectively don’t want one.
And the absence of war isn’t peace; it’s the status quo, and the reason we see this same movie replaying itself every two to three years; just more deadly, as technology gets more advanced, deadly and inexpensive.
I don’t see what’s happening in the Democratic Party &w/the “radical left” &their troubling response to this most recent tragic chapter in the Israeli/Hamas war as at all equivalent to what happened to the Republican Party (although absent attention it cd certainly spin out of control). Trump &his angry base were merely the front man &puppets to be manipulated by a decades planned well funded project strategically implemented by radical right wing christian nationalists &some pathologically sociopathic capitalists to take over our government &limit if not abolish our democracy for self-enrichment &authoritarian control. And yes, a lot of you had your heads in the sand ... but a lot didn’t. Fractures &frustrations in the Democratic Party over the root causes &appropriate solutions to human injustices, suffering &inequalities, while extremely dangerous in this particular time, isn’t the same as the strategic political coup that fell into place under the MAGA chaos. Just my (current) opinion tho &I am by no means an expert.
I agree. There have always been the extreme left in the democrats. That’s why they were called “extreme”. To most of us dead civilians are dead civilians, including children and elderly - whether it is in Israel, Gaza, the Ukraine, Oxford, Michigan or Maine. Netanyahu was dealing with Hamas. Warnings were ignored with horrific results. Now thousands of Gazans are dying. But the United States can not police the world. We can demand that our own government honor the rights our citizens. The Republicans are set on a path to continue to deny the rights of all but white males - and attempt to try and force their “brand” of false christian views on the rest of us. I am much less worried about the extreme left democrats than the extreme GOP that is in power in the House of Representatives.
I totally agree with supporting Israel in their effort to protect their people and secure their right to exist by eliminating a demonstrated threat. It IS sad, however, that innocent civilians must suffer and die during this conflict and I can understand why many are moved by this tragedy. However, we need to ask what Hamas - the governing entity in Gaza - has done to minimize the civilian casualties. It appears that they use their civilian population as shields and then use the civilian casualties to garner support for the notion that they, Hamas, are being victimized. Also, I just don't get the anti-semitic backlash in the U.S. and other countries.
I first heard an Israeili official compare the deaths of more than 1400 people on October 7th to the deaths of almost 3,000 people during the 9/11 attacks and make the case that the October 7th massacre is akin to (seven?) 9/11's. Then, as now, I am confused by that type of comparison. When did we start counting deaths in proprotion to total population? Why is it necessary? One death is no more or no less tragic than another, regardless of total population. Seems slightly disingenuous.
I think the left wing of the Democratic Party has been problematic for the Party for quite some time. I think they, as much as anyone, are responsible for the rise of the right wing of the Republican Party. I thought the Democrats had been sufficiently shocked in 2016 by Trump's win that they would move more toward moderation. Every friend of mine who is a Trump supporter expresses an emotionally charged distaste for the liberal left and most of them equate the whole Democratic Party with its left wing. Time for the Dems to figure this out. Thanks for your insights as always, Mr. Kinzinger.
I served in Korea myself, on essentially "trip wire" duty some 14 years after the official "armistice' suspending the Korean War. That was sufficiently close to the episodes depicted in the "MASH" series for me to appreciate how closely those bizarre episodes were to the reality of life near the Demilitarized Zone in Korea, even in 1967.
But unlike the "Hawkeye" character portrayed by Alan Alda, I appreciated the distinction between South Korea -- as supported (however imperfectly) by the United States and allies under the auspices of the United Nations -- and the puppet Communist state of North Korea.
That distinction should be even more apparent today with the emergence of South Korea as a prosperous, democratic country that contrasts so sharply (except to extreme leftists) to the Marxist totalitarian hell of North Korea.
Sorry, but not sorry, to "admit" to my bias, but I am highly gratified to have contributed a year of my life to helping the citizens of South Korea to realize the prosperity and freedom that they and all civilized people deserve.
There are so many great comments here that I would like to respond to. This discussion could go on for days. I believe you have touched a raw nerve here Adam, and the approach you and many others have taken is overly simplistic. Both parties are right, both parties are wrong and two wrongs don’t make a right.
Nentanyahu has been agitating for years and I was not surprised that something finally broke. I am appalled by the barbarism displayed here, but the US has to do a better job of managing their ally in the first place. Without the US, Israel would likely not survive. Obama did a much better job of that than Biden has. (Trump was a joke with Foreign Policy altogether.)
I do not have the inclination to go on about our relations with other Middle East nations (especially Iran), DNA and cultural norms, PLO vs Hamas, Jewish political financial influence, etc. etc. the genie is out of the bottle and it’s going to be difficult to put it back. As a moderate, I see fault on both sides and can neither completely support or completely condemn any side - in the US or otherwise.
The road to peace “here” is not war. This has much broader political implications in the region. I don’t think continued bombardment of civilian shielded Hamas positions will improve anything. What Netanyahu is proposing is borderline genocide. 8,000 deaths may not be an accurate number, but it is a meaningful response that I don’t think should be continued without a cease fire, expanded humanitarian relief an attempt at negotiations included hostage transfers.
Please don’t over simplify this issue. It is not black and white.
I am a centrist moderate registered independent who has voted D 80% of the time and R about 20% of the time although not for quite some time for reasons probably many of us here share. I don't know if Adam reads these comments or not, but I want to push back on the framing he used in this post and encourage use of a different term than "young super-liberals" - or the use of "liberals" at all to refer to the left. Conservative/liberal are useless overgeneralizations, and what is at stake right now as I see it is the foundation of our country in liberal principles, as in: individual rights, the rule of law, and representative democracy. The problem is that these "young super-liberals" are not liberal - they are illiberal, just like the christian nationalists at the other pole. I am a super liberal (although an older one), as is Adam Kinzinger, I would argue.
Although my ancestry is entirely German, my upbringing has been entirely middle class, nominally Protestant, Midwest American. That also included being a staunch Republican before the party became dominated by RHINOs. (RHINO = Rational Human in Name Only.)
I fully recognize that nobody should be judged or held accountable for the "sins of their fathers," and as such I don't feel any personal guilt for the atrocities committed against humanity by the Germans under Hitler's Nazi Party.
For several hundred years or more prior to the emergence of the Nazi Party in the 1930s, the Germans were arguably as "civilized" as any nation by measures such as art, technology, education, and the living standards of "average" Germans. So, how could they have degenerated to the depravity of the Nazi government?
A lot of it has to do with the socio-economic stress imposed by paying the debts incurred from their surrender in World War I. This led to the rise of factions of the left and right, with each promising extreme "cures" for the drastic decline in living standards. Hitler was successful in blaming an assortment of "undesirables" that included Communists, homosexuals, Jews, gypsies, and anybody labelled as such for political purposes.
As Adam has inferred, I see the same scenario unfolding in the U.S., with the rise into government of leftists under the Obama/Biden administration, countered by the rise of even more extreme right-wingers under Trump, and then the rise of even more extreme ("woke") leftists under the Biden/Harris administration.
Unless the American people who recognize the danger of re-electing either of these extremes band together to elect a credible centrist alternative, things will only get worse, possibly even to the point of civil war. The fact that America's form of democratic republican government has survived without serious challenge since the Civil War, does not guarantee that it will do so forever.
Carlton. Today we find ourselves teetering on the edge of the “event horizon”. Staring at a black hole. Do we pull back from the brink? Or do we give way into the abyss?
Our politics are now so tribal that the masses have become easily manipulated. Both sides have intentionally courted the extremes but for different reasons. I truly believe Obama and Biden sought to give Progressives a bigger voice and more representation for good reasons. But, as we are seeing, there is a “cost” for that. The Republicans have embraced the far right and have essentially coalesced the more violent factions together to bully their way to power. The Christian faith is now being subverted lock stock and barrel and is such a huge disappointment.
I too fear we are headed for an all-out conflict if we do not collectively recognize where this is headed and take drastic actions to put a stop to it. These are the times that call for strong charismatic leaders such as Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and JFK to lead us in the right direction. If we do not rise to the challenge and take the right path then this will be a short run for our great experiment.
Yes, and as a centrist who has the conscience to vote for a rational alternative to either Biden-Harris or Trump-whomever, I don't regard supporting a presidential candidate who is neither "Democrat" or "Republican" as an act that is either irrational or immoral. I am an intelligent, balanced, patriotic American. Not a Democratic or Republican sheep-person.
The irony in that "Keep the world clean" slogan (and what it really means is "Keep the world clean of Jews") is that it originated in neo-Nazi groups. Yet, over the last few weeks I have seen it in one far left protest against Israel after another. I'll be honest: As a pretty liberal Jewish guy, I've never felt more abandoned and alone politically than I do now. It seems as though the one thing that unites the far left and the far right is that they both hate Jews/Israel.
It is unfortunate that the atrocity by Hamas and its support by self anointed liberal intellectuals was required to reveal the true racist/Marxist nature of many of them. When you dance with scorpions you are going to get stung - as I recognized years ago in quitting the Republican Party.
Innocent lives are always a tragedy and unfortunate result of any conflict. It is never confined to the soldiers/fighters of just those involved. Everyone around suffers as a result.
What concerns me about Adam’s report is that once again a minority portion of our country will attempt and perhaps be able to affect an election in such a way as to transform our government into something that the MAJORITY of Americans don’t want or agree with. The path that might be taken because of this can have lasting implications far down the road. I agree with Judith Hubbard that “how America once was is gone forever “. In some ways this can be a positive thing. Nothing stays the same, always evolving. But we need to be vigilant to keep the best parts of us, while striving for “that more perfect union” as our Constitution states.
We need not confuse the fact that the Palestinians civilians are not Hamas and vice versa. The terrorist group Hamas, who the Palestinians voted as their governing body, began the attacks on private individuals. Israel has every right to fight back and defend themselves.
The part that gets little discussion, and which I find interesting, is that there are reported 40,000 to 50,000 Hamas militants in a area with near 2.4 million residents. This means that 1 out of 50 people (2% of the population) in the Gaza Strip is a Hamas militant.
Another fact that I find intriguing, and somewhat scary, is that Hamas acquired political power with roughly 40% of the vote in 2006 (currently ~35% or 831,250 of the people in Gaza). Does this remind you of other historical figures and the percentages of popular vote they had when acquiring power?
My heart breaks for all truly innocent people that get caught up in the crossfire or are plainly being used as pawns no matter where they are, what age, gender, skin tone or religion they practice.
With over a third of the Palestinian's supporting Hamas, and knowing that a quarter of those supporters want the absolute destruction of Israel and Jews, it appears to me that there are over a third of the adult population there in Gaza that bear the responsibility for this.
This brings me to a question I have no answer to but am interested in learning more about... how many of the deaths claimed as children are non-combatants i.e. unarmed bystanders and not affiliated with a militia? It was widely known even when I was in the service overseas that many groups recruit operatives that are very young. It appears that Hamas has a track record of actively recruiting young children under 18 years of age (https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/hamas-continues-recruiting-child-soldiers-so-where-is-the-condemnation-672163) Notice the date of this article.
We must separate Hamas from Palestine and Netanyahu from Israel. I think the young people protesting are making that distinction. They are not holding Palestinians responsible nor are they holding Israelis. Hamas and Netanyahu are extremists while the population of each country is suffering the consequences.
If the "young people" protesting the Israeli response to the Hamas mass atrocity are "making the distinction' between the factions within Israel and the factions within the Muslim world, then they picked a time to do it that is really stupid from a political standpoint, despite their allegedly superior intellectual and moral standing within "academia."
I would ask Adam, first, and then all who read this Substack article, to read Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations, by foremost Israeli journalist, Ronen Bregman--winner of the National Jewish Book Award in History.
My hope is the center will hold b/c of the large majority of Democrats and with the help of Independents &”homeless” patriotic Republicans … who really do support an American democracy … but, time will tell. All we can do is what each of US can do w/in our own spheres of influence.
If the "center" is to hold in the 2024 presidential election, we will need a better choice than Biden (with Harris likely to succeed him prematurely) and Trump.
I don’t get the focus on Biden’s age, he’s healthier &sharper than many younger (age is much more than a number) &his experience &leadership temperament meet the moment. His performance has been remarkable IMO … his record on Covid recovery, economic recovery & complicated international risks&conflict is strong. Also, Harris may not be popular/“likable” but she’s reasonable, moderate &as competent as any contenders on the radar … 4or less years w/her at the helm (*if* something happened to necessitate it) of an administration w/such a strong built-in team&infrastructure would be infinitely better than Trump or any of the candidates who are afraid of him&his base &would make decisions accordingly. She might even be better than good enough. Who is the perfect other person vetted &w/a better chance of garnering enough Democrat, Independent &homeless Republican votes in the right states to win the Electoral College at this late stage in the game? A totally serious question. Things can certainly change but the group of Democrats(?) obsessed with predicting doom &prematurely fixing that which is not broken is hard to understand and IMHO not in our democracy’s best interest at this outrageously important point in time &history.
Just as a matter of actuarial statistics, Biden's chances of dying in a term from 2025 to 2029 would be 40% to 50%. That doesn't even consider the probability of his becoming mentally incapacitated. Trump's would be only slightly better.
I wouldn't consider those odds to be acceptable for ANY presidential candidate. A nation of some 330 million people ought to come up with candidates whose odds of competently serving a full term are much higher, regardless of their political positions.
Unfortunately what we ought to do and the reality with which we are faced are two different things. I’d love to see an actuarial analysis of Biden &Trump prognostics based on truthful/accurate health&fitness data regarding each of them. That said the situation we are in is what it is … I will vote&hope for what I believe to be the best choices we have in November 2024 to keep our democracy alive.
I will vote also, based on my conscience as to a really good choice, and not on some calculation as to the least worst choice between Biden-Harris and Trump-whoever. In the last three elections, I have written-in rationally conservative Republicans (the Last being Condoleezza Rice) and am proud say that I had nothing to do with either Trump or Biden.
Adam, all the violence and blame is heart wrenching in addition to extremely dangerous for the future of our nation, regardless of party affiliation. We need to see each other as individuals not political entities. As freedom loving, caring, altruistic members of a society on the edge of breaking apart to appease the few power hungry and warmongers. A sense of community is needed in all cities, rural areas, churches, organizations where the rhetoric must be toned down many notches and people appreciate the truth about one another without criticism or name calling. It is essential that we reassess our values and put love over hate, eliminate bigotry and intolerance of “others.” It must start somewhere and spread quickly or our society will be lost as others have found themselves in the dust of history. The value or lack of same in capitalism as practiced to enrich the top 1% while the bottom 99% suffer likewise needs critical evaluation as it has not formed any part of a perfect union. Tax codes need simplification and loopholes for the wealthiest eliminated. I could go on forever but no one is paying attention; they’ve been sucked into a vortex of war that excites them for reasons unclear to me. For climate above all other issues, a simple life is mandatory for survival of the species. We need not look back or have any nostalgia for what was; that American 🇺🇸 (and the lies that it embraced) is gone forever. The sooner citizens realize the “new world “ will look nothing like the old, the faster we can make changes to salvage the best parts of what once was.
Judith, I very much agree with you about the rampant greed of the top few (1%) is built in the backs of everyone else. This is partly why the middle class has been hollowed out with many joining the lower class poverty level. Reagan’s trickle down theory didn’t really work. The source of that trickle has to buy into that idea and decided they didn’t really want to share profits with anyone but keep it for themselves. That said, I’ve always been a Reagan Republican but as I’ve aged I look back on that part and don’t see the results that was touted about.
I completely endorse a two state solution and would be overjoyed to see it emerge from the chaos. The suffering on both sides needs to stop. The “terrorists” of Hamas are accountable this time. I only wish I were in a position to make it happen.
There is a difference between Hamas and the Palestinians. It's complicated. There were elections in 2006 and Hamas beat out the Fatah Party 44% to 41% but gained controlling seats in the government. The Fatah party was or is the PLO and they recognized Israel, Hamas, of course does not. Israel was moving settlers out of the occupied territories so there was a vacuum there and George Bush and Condaleeza Rice encouraged elections. They thought (good intentions) that democracy would win. The Palestinians were thinking they got a Unity Government but Hamas, surprise, surprise, broke the deal starting killing Fatah members and those who were still alive escaped to the West Bank.
There has not been an election in Gaza since 2006. Half the population is under 18 and weren't even alive when Hamas took over. They, of course, have grown up with Hamas propaganda. They have been under a 16 year blockage so everything for their daily lives comes in by truck and Hamas can say "look what we are providing for you , and all the other BS.
There are Palestinians living in Israel who are Israeli citizens. There are Israelis and Palestinians running businesses together, there is intermarriage. They share holy places, especially in Jerusalem. Palestinians were attacked in the temple during Ramadan as they were praying. That went on for several nights. There are Palestinians now being attacked in the West Bank.
Hamas is deadly, they are devoted to the removal of Israel and probably any Jew they can get their hands on. They must be eliminated. However, then what? There is no one that wants Palestinians removed from the earth than Benjamin Netanyahu.
As said, this is complicated. The problem is, people are putting this recent tragedy in a vacuum. They take sound bites from a moment in time and don't look any further. Young people have always demonstrated and I like their exuberance but they need to be better informed about what they are demonstrating for.
Rashida Tlaib is a Palestinian and I'm not a friend so have certainly never had a deep discussion with her about anything. She IS very far left and she is well aware of the Palestinian history and she is very emotional. I still have never gotten the feeling that she supports Hamas but the right likes to say that anyone who stands up for the Palestinians at any time or God forbid say ONE critical word against Israel is a terrorist. It's great politics.
So in the meantime, we have Israeli families burying their family members, people just going about their daily lives, young people at a festival, slaughtered by vile and evil people who should have been dealt with a long time ago.
Then, just a short distance away, we have the young doctor in Gaza, treating bleeding children at the hospital that is running out of supplies and room. He is treating his ten year old daughter. Their house was hit by an explosive. He is called to a room down the hall in that room there is the body of a six year old boy who has died from his wounds, and that boy is his son.
So, there is plenty of heartache to spread around. I'm sick and tired of it. It must be in our DNA, our lust for power, our indifference to the pain of others, the need to be right, they need to have things "our way". To try to get a handle of what is happening today you need to go back to 1948. Anyway you want to see it, it is a tragedy.
I'm not going to comment further on this subject , I've taken too much time already. I just pray it's over, Hamas will be destroyed and somehow clearer heads can prevail and Netanyahu is purges. A young Israeli girl who lost friends in the assault was asked how she felt about the retaliation. She said she wished for peace and was not going to live the rest of her life with hate in her heart.
Pamela. So eloquently put!
Anyone weighing in on this (especially protesters) really REALLY need to understand the complete history of this conflict. Not just dating back to 1948 but going back a couple of millennia to the beginning.
I said I wouldn't comment again but I just now heard that one of the young women taken by Hamas butchers was just beheaded. I'm crying...I'm not lying...I'm not trying for drama, I am just heart sick. There is no deed that could be done by anyone, on any side, that can excuse this butchery. These kind of acts are carried out every day in so many places all over the world, and to what end? I am just devastated.
It’s both crushingly heartbreaking while making me feel maddeningly vengeful all in the same tangle of emotions. We heard of this as well a few hours ago. My wife sobbed as you are now.
This is what extreme hate and brutality does to people. That poor young woman did absolutely nothing to deserve what happened to her. Whoever did this to her has no soul.
It is extremely sad to simply realize that this is part of the human condition throughout time. There are those who love infinitely. And there are those that hate infinitely. And when the two cross paths bad things happen. I wish I had the solution.
Thank you for saying all of this. I am married to a Palestinian whose father and Mother were expelled from their homes in 1948. I have watched Israeli military exercises held in skies and lands of Lebanon. I have watched in horror as the Palestinian people have been exterminated. The invasion of the Palestinian camps of Sabra and Shatila as our Marines allowed Israel to exterminate 5,000 Palestinians in the night. I have seen the propaganda and media coverage that brands each person as an antisemitic if they do not agree with Israelis and their methods of killing. Do I wish Ill for the Israeli people? Absolutely not...no one deserves to be tortured, killed or maimed. But I am ashamed that this country condones genocide...
Now, I have heard from multiple sources that this stems from the expulsion of Palestinians so a canal can be built through the west bank where the Israeli and the USA will profit by bypassing the Suez Canal.
What I don't know is how I can make a difference in this world. So Adam, while I have the upmost respect for you, I cannot stand by what was said.
If the Israelis have been committing “genocide” against the Palestinians, they haven’t been very good at
it given that there are some 2 million Palestinians living in Israel proper. They may be second class citizens in some respects, but that is hardly “genocide,” any more than the limited blockade of Gaza was that would eventually have been relaxed but for the insane attacks by Hamas against Israeli civilians.
Carlton ever hear of Sabra and Shatilla? Ever hear of the sniping of Palestinians by the settlers? Ever hear of the thousand of Palestinians that were terrorized and murdered to get to where Israel land mass is today? Just look at the amount of land that Palestinians have lost over the years beyond 1948. Where did they go? The world has not cared about the plight of the Palestinians and their misery...someone may pay attention now that it is too late.
Reply No. 2. The notion of a canal through the West Bank to bypass the Suez Canal is completely absurd for reasons of geography that should be obvious to anybody the least familiar with that area. Such a canal would lead to the Dead Sea, which is about 1,400 feet below sea level. Can your sources explain how ships would be raised back to sea level from there?
First of all the Dead sea is landlocked...it is not the reference...the canal would extend from the Red sea to the Mediteranean Sea...the amount of money generated would be astronomical if it bypassed the normal routes...look at the maps..
You stated "Now, I have heard from multiple sources that this stems from the expulsion of Palestinians so a canal can be built through the west bank where the Israeli and the USA will profit by bypassing the Suez Canal."
As I stated, a canal through the west bank would lead to the Dead Sea. Even if the Israeli and American capitalists were totally indifferent to the impact of their investments on Palestinians or others, they would not be so stupid as to build a canal to a salt lake 1,400 feet below sea level. This notion that you apparently believe is an example of factually absurd propaganda having no purpose other than to inflame gullible believers.
Since I am an American who is concerned about the welfare of people in many nations throughout Earth, I am not so fixated on the history of Palestine/Israel to know the details of Sabra and Shatilla. I do understand, however, is that there was a particularly intense guerilla style war being waged between loosely coordinated factions of Zionists and Palestinians, which resulted in many atrocities on both sides. But when you repeat inflammatory Palestinian propaganda about a canal through the West Bank, you lack credibility with me and, I suspect, most other Americans. If you want credibility, show respect for the whole truth.
I stated the west bank as being the the target when I should have said Gaza. You are correct in saying the west Bank would make no sense. I stand corrected. I would NEVER ever intentionally try to stir up or misdirect anyone intentionally. I just got mixed up. I apologize. Thank you for calling my attention to this.
Thanks for your comment.
The hope for a peaceful resolution of this issue is for people of all persuasions to acknowledge facts, and I thank you for doing so.
I have a background in civil engineering, and as such recognize that public works projects -- such as canals -- that are "profitable" generally benefit most people, but often harm minorities.
The truly "progressive" solution to that is government intervention that involves some degree of government mandated "mitigation" in the design of the facilities, as well as government mandated monetary compensation to the people harmed by the facilities, which enables them to move elsewhere if they so choose.
That is a principle that I have attempted to implement throughout my career as a civil engineer, without regard to the "identity" of any of the people affected -- for better or worse -- by infrastructure projects.
This problem is as old and complex as man. Israel is certainly in a tough spot--seen by the Palestinians as invaders „gifted“ land by the British after WWII settled by them hundreds (or thousands) of years before much like the US „gifted“ land to white Americans once inhabited by our own native people. And civilians in Gaza perhaps „should“ speak out or act against Hamas much like Germans „should“ have, but not all people have the courage to risk death or worse at the hands of their government. That said, Israel is the victim of a terrorist attack, and anyone who defends that should be called out immediately and loudly. And yes, the dems need to make this message in a full throated manner.
As I see it, one of the main problems is that most Americans are ignorant of the history of the Jewish people, especially recent history (since WWII). This is a problem with so many issues today--there is a history behind why we do what we do and believe what we believe (for example, our relationship with guns and religion) but most don’t know what that history is and so fall back on tribalism. It‘s understandable that people shy away from the topic--even I couldn‘t watch the Ken Burns special on the Holocaust--it was just too much during Covid and all our political unrest. The critical thing is to remember that 1) all life is sacred 2) anyone who uses civilians as human shields are committing war crimes, 3) everyone has a right to live in peace and to defend themselves, and 4)anyone who supports, encourages or condones the invasion, murder or kidnapping of civilians needs to be called out for supporting terrorism.
Campuses are full of far left voices, most of which become much quieter a year or two after graduation when maturity and a taste of the real world becomes part of peoples lives. Sometimes an unpopular political view is the right thing to support (such as the fight against apartheid in the 1970‘s and 80‘s), but it‘s often just ignorance or kids rebelling against their parents. Either way, it needs to be discussed, thoughtful questions asked and answers thoughtfully and honestly given.
I really want to understand how we can justify 8000 deaths, most of these just as innocent as the Israel deaths. I'm a solid moderate and just want to understand how and why war and an all out attack/killing is the only option?? This reminds me a bit of Vietnam where the younger generation protested the war and years later we learn how our leaders lied to all of us over and over again. I am not asking for a debate, just clarity on the why innocent lives are always the ones who are suffer on both sides. My heart breaks for both countries.
Well sadly, war is a terrible thing. Nobody wants anyone else to die, me especially. But unfortunately that’s not a choice in war in a dense urban area. But being in an urban area doesn’t grant you sanctuary from retaliation.
Instead of building military tunnels, Hamas should have built bomb shelters, and then not attacked. Every one of the Israeli and palestinians would today be alive
I’m Jewish and have family in Israel. I personally despise the Netanyahu government, and I put much of the blame on the Hamas attack on Netanyahu.
That said, it isn’t the peaceful protests that bother me. It’s that many of the college students are chanting the phrase, “from the river to the sea.”
Additionally, they refuse to acknowledge what Hamas did is terrorism. They raped and killed babies, children and women; that’s terrorism.
Furthermore, these students believe Israel deserves it. However, the Israeli’s killed are innocents, who just attended a concert and were mowed down like grass. This isn’t any different than the Palestinians being killed, yet these kids aren’t making a distinction between the Israeli government and the innocent people who were slaughtered.
Furthermore, the phrase “from the river to the sea” is Hama’s credo. It means we will drive every Jew out of Israel and into the sea: dead or alive.
Obviously, that will never happen before Israel completely annihilates Hamas and the Palestinians as well; mutually assured destruction (MAD).
Bottom line: apparently it’s only terror when Israeli’s commit heinous acts. What Hamas does is fine, even though their own charter says they will never recognize Israel or negotiate with Israel for a two state solution.
So when you ask why we can’t achieve peace, the answer is simple. For peace to exist, there needs to be two sides willing to achieve it. Hamas isn’t interested, and neither are the fanatical Israeli settlers and the Netanyahu government.
Personally, I believe Hamas and the right-wing Israeli’s deserve each other.
That said, the absence of war isn’t peace, which is why we see the same movie over and over again, like Groundhog Day. Hamas attacks, Israel retaliates harder, then then imposes even more draconian measures and restrictions, and eventually Hamas attacks again; two to three years later. Rinse, Lather, repeat!
Hopefully once this nonsense ends the world will demand a two state solution, or we stop giving aid to both sides.
Just some thoughts...:)
This is so helpful ... I was listening to Tom Friedman and he had many of the same sentiments as you. I had no idea what "from the river to the sea" meant, wow. Also brings clarity in that both sides are equally to blame for choosing war over/over and over ... and as a result, the innocent pay the consequences. Very much appreciate your time, Robert!
You’re welcome and truly agree with your sentiments...:)
The United Nations and most of the world has allowed Hamas terrorism to grow for years. No one wants innocent people to die. However Hamas is the elected government in Gaza. What would we do if Mexico and Canada were firing missiles into the U. S. everyday. People would cry out and demand action. It is easy to criticize Israel’s approach without offering a realistic solution to Hamas. After seeing over 1,300 of its citizens butchered, the equivalent to the U. S. Losing 40,000 citizens not one country has offered other solutions to Israel but to stop fighting and wait for the next terrorist attack. It’s Hamas that deliberately puts its population at risk.
Adam thank you so much for speaking the truth so forcibly.
I partially agree with your assessment, but comparing Gaza to Mexico is a bit of a stretch. We don’t control life in Mexico for average Mexicans. Israel, even after they left Gaza, still controls Gaza’s economy, borders, movements, water, electric and gas, etc...
And Israeli policies are stifling; not to mention the continued build up of settlements in the West Bank.
I do agree Hamas is a terrorist organization committed to Israel’s destruction, but so is Netanyahu and his right-wing government. Neither is interested in a two state solution. Netanyahu has kept the PA weak and impotent deliberately, playing both sides against each other as a distraction.
And this is the end result: Two obtuse governments unwilling to negotiate a peace process, mostly because Netanyahu and Hamas collectively don’t want one.
And the absence of war isn’t peace; it’s the status quo, and the reason we see this same movie replaying itself every two to three years; just more deadly, as technology gets more advanced, deadly and inexpensive.
I don’t see what’s happening in the Democratic Party &w/the “radical left” &their troubling response to this most recent tragic chapter in the Israeli/Hamas war as at all equivalent to what happened to the Republican Party (although absent attention it cd certainly spin out of control). Trump &his angry base were merely the front man &puppets to be manipulated by a decades planned well funded project strategically implemented by radical right wing christian nationalists &some pathologically sociopathic capitalists to take over our government &limit if not abolish our democracy for self-enrichment &authoritarian control. And yes, a lot of you had your heads in the sand ... but a lot didn’t. Fractures &frustrations in the Democratic Party over the root causes &appropriate solutions to human injustices, suffering &inequalities, while extremely dangerous in this particular time, isn’t the same as the strategic political coup that fell into place under the MAGA chaos. Just my (current) opinion tho &I am by no means an expert.
I agree. There have always been the extreme left in the democrats. That’s why they were called “extreme”. To most of us dead civilians are dead civilians, including children and elderly - whether it is in Israel, Gaza, the Ukraine, Oxford, Michigan or Maine. Netanyahu was dealing with Hamas. Warnings were ignored with horrific results. Now thousands of Gazans are dying. But the United States can not police the world. We can demand that our own government honor the rights our citizens. The Republicans are set on a path to continue to deny the rights of all but white males - and attempt to try and force their “brand” of false christian views on the rest of us. I am much less worried about the extreme left democrats than the extreme GOP that is in power in the House of Representatives.
I totally agree with supporting Israel in their effort to protect their people and secure their right to exist by eliminating a demonstrated threat. It IS sad, however, that innocent civilians must suffer and die during this conflict and I can understand why many are moved by this tragedy. However, we need to ask what Hamas - the governing entity in Gaza - has done to minimize the civilian casualties. It appears that they use their civilian population as shields and then use the civilian casualties to garner support for the notion that they, Hamas, are being victimized. Also, I just don't get the anti-semitic backlash in the U.S. and other countries.
I first heard an Israeili official compare the deaths of more than 1400 people on October 7th to the deaths of almost 3,000 people during the 9/11 attacks and make the case that the October 7th massacre is akin to (seven?) 9/11's. Then, as now, I am confused by that type of comparison. When did we start counting deaths in proprotion to total population? Why is it necessary? One death is no more or no less tragic than another, regardless of total population. Seems slightly disingenuous.
I think the left wing of the Democratic Party has been problematic for the Party for quite some time. I think they, as much as anyone, are responsible for the rise of the right wing of the Republican Party. I thought the Democrats had been sufficiently shocked in 2016 by Trump's win that they would move more toward moderation. Every friend of mine who is a Trump supporter expresses an emotionally charged distaste for the liberal left and most of them equate the whole Democratic Party with its left wing. Time for the Dems to figure this out. Thanks for your insights as always, Mr. Kinzinger.
As col. Blake once said . Rule 1 ,in war people die. Rule 2. Dr's. Can't change Rule 1.
Sadly government can. Seems to me bb was playing with fire for a long time and didn't listen just as our leaders did not listen before 911.
I served in Korea myself, on essentially "trip wire" duty some 14 years after the official "armistice' suspending the Korean War. That was sufficiently close to the episodes depicted in the "MASH" series for me to appreciate how closely those bizarre episodes were to the reality of life near the Demilitarized Zone in Korea, even in 1967.
But unlike the "Hawkeye" character portrayed by Alan Alda, I appreciated the distinction between South Korea -- as supported (however imperfectly) by the United States and allies under the auspices of the United Nations -- and the puppet Communist state of North Korea.
That distinction should be even more apparent today with the emergence of South Korea as a prosperous, democratic country that contrasts so sharply (except to extreme leftists) to the Marxist totalitarian hell of North Korea.
Sorry, but not sorry, to "admit" to my bias, but I am highly gratified to have contributed a year of my life to helping the citizens of South Korea to realize the prosperity and freedom that they and all civilized people deserve.
There are so many great comments here that I would like to respond to. This discussion could go on for days. I believe you have touched a raw nerve here Adam, and the approach you and many others have taken is overly simplistic. Both parties are right, both parties are wrong and two wrongs don’t make a right.
Nentanyahu has been agitating for years and I was not surprised that something finally broke. I am appalled by the barbarism displayed here, but the US has to do a better job of managing their ally in the first place. Without the US, Israel would likely not survive. Obama did a much better job of that than Biden has. (Trump was a joke with Foreign Policy altogether.)
I do not have the inclination to go on about our relations with other Middle East nations (especially Iran), DNA and cultural norms, PLO vs Hamas, Jewish political financial influence, etc. etc. the genie is out of the bottle and it’s going to be difficult to put it back. As a moderate, I see fault on both sides and can neither completely support or completely condemn any side - in the US or otherwise.
The road to peace “here” is not war. This has much broader political implications in the region. I don’t think continued bombardment of civilian shielded Hamas positions will improve anything. What Netanyahu is proposing is borderline genocide. 8,000 deaths may not be an accurate number, but it is a meaningful response that I don’t think should be continued without a cease fire, expanded humanitarian relief an attempt at negotiations included hostage transfers.
Please don’t over simplify this issue. It is not black and white.
I am a centrist moderate registered independent who has voted D 80% of the time and R about 20% of the time although not for quite some time for reasons probably many of us here share. I don't know if Adam reads these comments or not, but I want to push back on the framing he used in this post and encourage use of a different term than "young super-liberals" - or the use of "liberals" at all to refer to the left. Conservative/liberal are useless overgeneralizations, and what is at stake right now as I see it is the foundation of our country in liberal principles, as in: individual rights, the rule of law, and representative democracy. The problem is that these "young super-liberals" are not liberal - they are illiberal, just like the christian nationalists at the other pole. I am a super liberal (although an older one), as is Adam Kinzinger, I would argue.
Although my ancestry is entirely German, my upbringing has been entirely middle class, nominally Protestant, Midwest American. That also included being a staunch Republican before the party became dominated by RHINOs. (RHINO = Rational Human in Name Only.)
I fully recognize that nobody should be judged or held accountable for the "sins of their fathers," and as such I don't feel any personal guilt for the atrocities committed against humanity by the Germans under Hitler's Nazi Party.
For several hundred years or more prior to the emergence of the Nazi Party in the 1930s, the Germans were arguably as "civilized" as any nation by measures such as art, technology, education, and the living standards of "average" Germans. So, how could they have degenerated to the depravity of the Nazi government?
A lot of it has to do with the socio-economic stress imposed by paying the debts incurred from their surrender in World War I. This led to the rise of factions of the left and right, with each promising extreme "cures" for the drastic decline in living standards. Hitler was successful in blaming an assortment of "undesirables" that included Communists, homosexuals, Jews, gypsies, and anybody labelled as such for political purposes.
As Adam has inferred, I see the same scenario unfolding in the U.S., with the rise into government of leftists under the Obama/Biden administration, countered by the rise of even more extreme right-wingers under Trump, and then the rise of even more extreme ("woke") leftists under the Biden/Harris administration.
Unless the American people who recognize the danger of re-electing either of these extremes band together to elect a credible centrist alternative, things will only get worse, possibly even to the point of civil war. The fact that America's form of democratic republican government has survived without serious challenge since the Civil War, does not guarantee that it will do so forever.
Carlton. Today we find ourselves teetering on the edge of the “event horizon”. Staring at a black hole. Do we pull back from the brink? Or do we give way into the abyss?
Our politics are now so tribal that the masses have become easily manipulated. Both sides have intentionally courted the extremes but for different reasons. I truly believe Obama and Biden sought to give Progressives a bigger voice and more representation for good reasons. But, as we are seeing, there is a “cost” for that. The Republicans have embraced the far right and have essentially coalesced the more violent factions together to bully their way to power. The Christian faith is now being subverted lock stock and barrel and is such a huge disappointment.
I too fear we are headed for an all-out conflict if we do not collectively recognize where this is headed and take drastic actions to put a stop to it. These are the times that call for strong charismatic leaders such as Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt and JFK to lead us in the right direction. If we do not rise to the challenge and take the right path then this will be a short run for our great experiment.
Yes, and as a centrist who has the conscience to vote for a rational alternative to either Biden-Harris or Trump-whomever, I don't regard supporting a presidential candidate who is neither "Democrat" or "Republican" as an act that is either irrational or immoral. I am an intelligent, balanced, patriotic American. Not a Democratic or Republican sheep-person.
The irony in that "Keep the world clean" slogan (and what it really means is "Keep the world clean of Jews") is that it originated in neo-Nazi groups. Yet, over the last few weeks I have seen it in one far left protest against Israel after another. I'll be honest: As a pretty liberal Jewish guy, I've never felt more abandoned and alone politically than I do now. It seems as though the one thing that unites the far left and the far right is that they both hate Jews/Israel.
It is unfortunate that the atrocity by Hamas and its support by self anointed liberal intellectuals was required to reveal the true racist/Marxist nature of many of them. When you dance with scorpions you are going to get stung - as I recognized years ago in quitting the Republican Party.
Innocent lives are always a tragedy and unfortunate result of any conflict. It is never confined to the soldiers/fighters of just those involved. Everyone around suffers as a result.
What concerns me about Adam’s report is that once again a minority portion of our country will attempt and perhaps be able to affect an election in such a way as to transform our government into something that the MAJORITY of Americans don’t want or agree with. The path that might be taken because of this can have lasting implications far down the road. I agree with Judith Hubbard that “how America once was is gone forever “. In some ways this can be a positive thing. Nothing stays the same, always evolving. But we need to be vigilant to keep the best parts of us, while striving for “that more perfect union” as our Constitution states.
We need not confuse the fact that the Palestinians civilians are not Hamas and vice versa. The terrorist group Hamas, who the Palestinians voted as their governing body, began the attacks on private individuals. Israel has every right to fight back and defend themselves.
The part that gets little discussion, and which I find interesting, is that there are reported 40,000 to 50,000 Hamas militants in a area with near 2.4 million residents. This means that 1 out of 50 people (2% of the population) in the Gaza Strip is a Hamas militant.
Another fact that I find intriguing, and somewhat scary, is that Hamas acquired political power with roughly 40% of the vote in 2006 (currently ~35% or 831,250 of the people in Gaza). Does this remind you of other historical figures and the percentages of popular vote they had when acquiring power?
My heart breaks for all truly innocent people that get caught up in the crossfire or are plainly being used as pawns no matter where they are, what age, gender, skin tone or religion they practice.
With over a third of the Palestinian's supporting Hamas, and knowing that a quarter of those supporters want the absolute destruction of Israel and Jews, it appears to me that there are over a third of the adult population there in Gaza that bear the responsibility for this.
This brings me to a question I have no answer to but am interested in learning more about... how many of the deaths claimed as children are non-combatants i.e. unarmed bystanders and not affiliated with a militia? It was widely known even when I was in the service overseas that many groups recruit operatives that are very young. It appears that Hamas has a track record of actively recruiting young children under 18 years of age (https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/hamas-continues-recruiting-child-soldiers-so-where-is-the-condemnation-672163) Notice the date of this article.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Strip
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Hamas
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/what-palestinians-really-think-hamas
We must separate Hamas from Palestine and Netanyahu from Israel. I think the young people protesting are making that distinction. They are not holding Palestinians responsible nor are they holding Israelis. Hamas and Netanyahu are extremists while the population of each country is suffering the consequences.
If the "young people" protesting the Israeli response to the Hamas mass atrocity are "making the distinction' between the factions within Israel and the factions within the Muslim world, then they picked a time to do it that is really stupid from a political standpoint, despite their allegedly superior intellectual and moral standing within "academia."
I would ask Adam, first, and then all who read this Substack article, to read Rise and Kill First: The Secret History of Israel’s Targeted Assassinations, by foremost Israeli journalist, Ronen Bregman--winner of the National Jewish Book Award in History.
My hope is the center will hold b/c of the large majority of Democrats and with the help of Independents &”homeless” patriotic Republicans … who really do support an American democracy … but, time will tell. All we can do is what each of US can do w/in our own spheres of influence.
If the "center" is to hold in the 2024 presidential election, we will need a better choice than Biden (with Harris likely to succeed him prematurely) and Trump.
I don’t get the focus on Biden’s age, he’s healthier &sharper than many younger (age is much more than a number) &his experience &leadership temperament meet the moment. His performance has been remarkable IMO … his record on Covid recovery, economic recovery & complicated international risks&conflict is strong. Also, Harris may not be popular/“likable” but she’s reasonable, moderate &as competent as any contenders on the radar … 4or less years w/her at the helm (*if* something happened to necessitate it) of an administration w/such a strong built-in team&infrastructure would be infinitely better than Trump or any of the candidates who are afraid of him&his base &would make decisions accordingly. She might even be better than good enough. Who is the perfect other person vetted &w/a better chance of garnering enough Democrat, Independent &homeless Republican votes in the right states to win the Electoral College at this late stage in the game? A totally serious question. Things can certainly change but the group of Democrats(?) obsessed with predicting doom &prematurely fixing that which is not broken is hard to understand and IMHO not in our democracy’s best interest at this outrageously important point in time &history.
Just as a matter of actuarial statistics, Biden's chances of dying in a term from 2025 to 2029 would be 40% to 50%. That doesn't even consider the probability of his becoming mentally incapacitated. Trump's would be only slightly better.
I wouldn't consider those odds to be acceptable for ANY presidential candidate. A nation of some 330 million people ought to come up with candidates whose odds of competently serving a full term are much higher, regardless of their political positions.
Unfortunately what we ought to do and the reality with which we are faced are two different things. I’d love to see an actuarial analysis of Biden &Trump prognostics based on truthful/accurate health&fitness data regarding each of them. That said the situation we are in is what it is … I will vote&hope for what I believe to be the best choices we have in November 2024 to keep our democracy alive.
I will vote also, based on my conscience as to a really good choice, and not on some calculation as to the least worst choice between Biden-Harris and Trump-whoever. In the last three elections, I have written-in rationally conservative Republicans (the Last being Condoleezza Rice) and am proud say that I had nothing to do with either Trump or Biden.
Adam, all the violence and blame is heart wrenching in addition to extremely dangerous for the future of our nation, regardless of party affiliation. We need to see each other as individuals not political entities. As freedom loving, caring, altruistic members of a society on the edge of breaking apart to appease the few power hungry and warmongers. A sense of community is needed in all cities, rural areas, churches, organizations where the rhetoric must be toned down many notches and people appreciate the truth about one another without criticism or name calling. It is essential that we reassess our values and put love over hate, eliminate bigotry and intolerance of “others.” It must start somewhere and spread quickly or our society will be lost as others have found themselves in the dust of history. The value or lack of same in capitalism as practiced to enrich the top 1% while the bottom 99% suffer likewise needs critical evaluation as it has not formed any part of a perfect union. Tax codes need simplification and loopholes for the wealthiest eliminated. I could go on forever but no one is paying attention; they’ve been sucked into a vortex of war that excites them for reasons unclear to me. For climate above all other issues, a simple life is mandatory for survival of the species. We need not look back or have any nostalgia for what was; that American 🇺🇸 (and the lies that it embraced) is gone forever. The sooner citizens realize the “new world “ will look nothing like the old, the faster we can make changes to salvage the best parts of what once was.
Judith, I very much agree with you about the rampant greed of the top few (1%) is built in the backs of everyone else. This is partly why the middle class has been hollowed out with many joining the lower class poverty level. Reagan’s trickle down theory didn’t really work. The source of that trickle has to buy into that idea and decided they didn’t really want to share profits with anyone but keep it for themselves. That said, I’ve always been a Reagan Republican but as I’ve aged I look back on that part and don’t see the results that was touted about.
I completely endorse a two state solution and would be overjoyed to see it emerge from the chaos. The suffering on both sides needs to stop. The “terrorists” of Hamas are accountable this time. I only wish I were in a position to make it happen.