In Congress today, the war criminal who has starved, killed and maimed tens of thousands of Palestinians was given standing ovations and 70 applause breaks.

It wasn’t the only thing that happened. Over 100 Democrats boycotted the address and thousands protested outside. Still, I think this cartoon captures the spectacle of what happened inside the building.

Source

  • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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    2 months ago

    You’re off the mark if you think America supports Israel just because they are big fans of Israel. Israel is a tool for American Imperialism.

    • sunzu@kbin.run
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      2 months ago

      Explain to me how America benefits from supporting this genocide?

      • Barzaria@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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        2 months ago

        Israel is used as a weapons testing platform by America. We are fighting a proxy war with Iran/China/Russia without risking American lives. Our proxies in the middle east and west of Russia act as physical separation and plausible deniability for our violent acts. The reason that the genocide is tolerated is because America benefits from the fighting. The Israel conflict acts as a forever war between our constant other armed conflicts, allowing us to generate income and research technology through private industry. We invented Israel to accomplish American goals in the middle east. To invoke the moral defence is to engage in a bad faith argument. The genocide is immoral on its face, but the language of power informs American policy decisions. Even the moral arguers that are allowed into the halls of power are allowed there as part of the production. That is manufactured outrage. Manufactured inso that the power forces allow the dissent to be visualized within their body to show fake deference to the filthy truth: power beats morals in America. Imploring moral righteousness from the powerful is useless. Worse than useless, it strengthens the powerful’s play by making them appear tolerant. If you want change, violence and power are the language spoken. I do not support genocide and I do not allow my thoughts to be used as a tool of oppression by placidly stating the obvious. The correct action is action and fear of being able to do that action is the boundary of power. Imagine even saying that American cities should be bombed by their own inhabitants if the genocide doesn’t stop tomorrow. You can’t? That’s power. If you’re afraid reading this, that’s power.

        • sunzu@kbin.run
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          2 months ago

          Israel is used as a weapons testing platform by America.

          Yeah but weapons for ukraine took 6 months…

          Either way, clearly US regime has some exra love for Israel because purely economic and geopolitcal terms can’t explain away US behavior imho

          The fact that there is even an “argument” about it does indeed confirm that powerful people don’t give a fuck about being found guilty of it. I guess that’s what winning really looks like in the end.

          But let’s be real this does not benefit the US geopolitically. If US stopped supporting Israel tomorrow, nothing would really change for US.

          Israel would not survive tho…

          • Barzaria@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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            2 months ago

            I have attached a screenshot of the middle east. Israel affords the US Access to the middle-east without needing to access the Suez channel. This is of strategic importance because the canal is tiny and our navy has to send ships through it to bomb Iran through the Persian Gulf. If the canal were to be closed, we would have to take carrier strike groups around Africa to go east and access the Gulf. This is important to projecting power into the region. If ever there were a land war, the US would need Israel to put big land stuff into play to fight China/Russia/Iran. Thank you for challenging my thinking.

            • sunzu@kbin.run
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              2 months ago

              Under this logic, Egypt is way more valuable to US.

              You are also mixing naval access with landing ground, which I am not following. If Egypt closes suez, what is israel going to do? We are still going around Africa.

              If we need to land troops in middle east, we have base in Kuwait, KSA Jordan? Half of Arab countries there are US allies lol What does israel bring that they don’t?

              Also, Turkey is NATO and borders Iran. Kuwait is a drive away from Iran.

              I am still yet to hear a concrete reason why Israel is valuable to the US tbh beyond platitudes that Israeli propaganda spins as benefit, which is really benefit for Israel, not us.

              • Barzaria@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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                2 months ago

                Egypt would be more valuable than Israel. Egypt was not an invented country and so would not be easy to get military access to. The naval access is used as part of a defensive military plan called projection of power. Naval access is what the US uses now to project military power into the region. In the event that the canal is closed, then land access will be required to project power in the region for projection of power. Either way, to field an offensive campaign in the east would require Israel. We need land to land tanks. Ad hominem attack is ineffective. I have nothing to prove to you and am not obligated to describe whatever inane things you have decided to require for your personal satisfaction.

                • sunzu@kbin.run
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                  2 months ago

                  Ad hominem attack is ineffective.

                  lol wat? where?

                  Egypt does as us says now mostly.

                  Either way, Israel borders Syria Jordan and lebanon Egypt… who is US attacking here with tanks from Israeli territory?

                  You are not able to article this basic point, again talking in platitudes about some mythical conflict that US will have to fight against somebody that only Israel can allow us to do.

                  Israel does not resolve Suez canal closure issue. navy is going around anyway. This point does not make sense either.

                  Again, if we need to land tanks against Iran, turkey (NATO) is right there with a direct land border with Iran. Kuwait would also make more sense since driving distance to Iran.

                  Then there is KSA. Nobody is landing tanks in Israel to fight a war with Iran lol

      • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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        2 months ago

        They keep Israel as a foothold on the Middle East, which pushes US negotiations with other countries in the favor of the US.

        • sunzu@kbin.run
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          2 months ago

          Man this trope keeps getting pushed as gospel…

          Israel didn’t have to ethnically cleanse the region even if this is true though.

          This is what Israel decided to do and AIPAC was able to lobby for it successfully to maintain US support.

          There is zero benefit for US here.

          Clearly people don’t remember USS Liberty

          • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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            2 months ago

            Israel didn’t have to ethnically cleanse the region even if this is true though.

            They do, Israel is a genocidal Settler-Colonial fascist regime. They need an enemy, and they need that enemy’s land.

            This is what Israel decided to do and AIPAC was able to lobby for it successfully to maintain US support.

            AIPAC is part of the puzzle, but the US has a history of unconditional support for Israel regardless, because Israel protects US profits.

              • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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                2 months ago

                "If we look at the Middle East, I think it’s about time we stop, those of us who support, as most of us do, Israel in this body, for apologizing for our support for Israel.

                There is no apology to be made. None. It is the best $3 billion investment we make.

                Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel to protect her interest in the region; the United States would have to go out and invent an Israel.

                I am with my colleagues who are on the floor of the Foreign Relations Committee, and we worry at length about NATO; and we worry about the eastern flank of NATO, Greece and Turkey, and how important it is. They pale by comparison…

                They pale by comparison in terms of the benefit that accrues to the United States of America."

                Joe Biden, 1986.

                • sunzu@kbin.run
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                  2 months ago

                  You didn’t name the profits israel protects… I am assuming you can’t.

                  Citing an AIPAC hoes speech from 30 years ago aimed at bolstering the propaganda you are repeating is support for the initial claim.

                  Again, US doesn’t benefit front this genocide or support of Israel.

                  This support is detrimental to the US geopolitical position. If US cut Israel off tomorrow, nothing would change for the US like

                  Israel would be fucked tho. 🐸

                  • Cowbee [he/him]@lemmy.ml
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                    2 months ago

                    What profits do I “name?” That Israel protects US access to oil, ergo profits?

                    You genuinely have no concept of geopolitics.