• Veneroso@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Did I call you a Trump voter?

      Is Biden running for reelection?

      So you honestly think that Israel thinks that they’re the client state?

      AIPAC owns the majority of the House and Senate.
      Even if Biden stopped aid, there’s enough votes to override the veto.

      Think critically and not with regurgitated talking points.

      Here’s an article from 12 years ago that is still relevant:

      https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/03/america-israel-aipac-and-iran-the-client-state-factor/254103/

      • circuscritic@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        No, you just did whataboutism.

        Which is why I separated my other commentary, and addressed it in general, and not directly at you.

        Because while it’s related to your comment, you hadn’t crossed that bridge yet, but there’s no shortage of that in these comments, read up and down.

        Israel knows their client state, including the IDF and political leadership. Do you even read Israeli newspapers regularly?

        I’m well aware of AIPAC, and the extent of their lobbying and influence operations.

        None of that has anything to do with what I’ve been talking about.

        • Veneroso@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          It absolutely does, Biden is a Zionist.

          He is a proud and open one.

          Could he cut off lethal aid? Absolutely!

          But what would that accomplish?

          First, Israel has access to several “emergency” supply caches in the area (that we actively replenish).

          Secondly, any aid we cut off, say in March 2024 when it was overly clear what Israel was doing, they would still not be close to emptying their stockpile.

          Thirdly, AIPAC would galvanize congress, the media, and then they would be shoveling aid to Israel and overriding Biden’s veto.

          Fourthly, the US doesn’t have a monopoly on weapons export. I guarantee that other countries who are antagonist towards the US would step hand over fist to supply Israel with everything they need – or worse – because it weakens the US.

          That isn’t hyperbole. It’s geopolitics.

          So what’s worse?

          A rogue client state that is itching to attack Iran and start wwIII with shout 50% of Congress in a death cult which requires Israel to exist to be destroyed so that sky lord can come and save them.

          Or India getting a free field test of their armament?

          One of those two options feeds the military industrial complex and the economy by extension. The other makes Pakistan enter the conflict. Now you have a regional war.

          None of these things are good. But calling your congressman is a better use of your energy than yelling at idiots on Lemmy.

          Signed - a fellow idiot.

          • circuscritic@lemmy.ca
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            1 month ago

            Just so we’re clear, your position is that Biden is at fault, but if he wasn’t supporting this genocide, it would actually be worse?

            It’s late, and I’m watching the fights, so I don’t have my full attention to spare, but I had enough available to read your comment and see that that you’re being earnest in your argument, and your analysis is not disingenuous.

            That’s important to me, because while it’s really bad, it also means that you’re probably not a bad person.

            For starters, it’s all counterfactuals, and while that alone means it’s a just barrel of formal and informal fallacies, it’s also based on deeply flawed, or just grossly uneducated, misunderstandings of a wide range of fields, ranging from international relations, to military procurement and sustainment.

            I’m not trying to be mean, and to be fair, I have an academic background in multiple fields related to these subjects, so I’m not pulling my criticism out of my ass.

            But another fight is about to start, so my text to speech comment must end.

            • Veneroso@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              The TLDR is that bad people are bad and will be bad regardless of who they buy thier weapons from.

              It’s beyond shitty and I am totally against it.

              Unfortunately, at least if we’re selling the weapons, we have at least some say in how their used.

              All of this is against the Arms Export Control Act. We are literally ignoring the law by continuing to ship these weapons. Congress has turned a blind eye to all of it. Largely due to the threat of being primaried by a pro-AIPAC candidate. We have already seen it repeatedly during the Democrat primary where the progressive anti-genocide incumbents were replaced by Zionist representatives, or at least people willing to look the other way for the big check.

              Multiple states have laws against protesting Israel that if you want to do business with the state, you have to support Israel. So much for freedom of speech.

              The only solace I have is that the person Kamala Harris has tapped for Secretary of State was a huge proponent of the Iran deal and that we might possibly have some cooler heads if she wins vs this death cult. I can’t say that it will be peace, but at least she won’t be putting up a Trump tower on the West Bank…

              Here is a playlist from a channel with a better handle on foreign policy than I’ll ever have.

              They cover multiple topics, including some of the points that I have raised. Obviously it’s unlikely to change your position, but at least you’ll have insight into how things are. Foreign policy isn’t about morals or right from wrong. It’s about power.

              https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZOMlO2_17fsBGC7TrCwoFafQZbE6aj0P&si=eYX1XvPa0xsSWceD