All purpose news and politics thread part VII: News & Politics Total Landscaping

[AnakinFlair]

Is it, though?

Is Israel's slaughter 'okay' because it's more efficient and polite?

I agree that Hamas needs to be wiped out to the last man, but Israel, especially under Ben N, is not reacting/acting as morally as they could.

That said, a big problem IMO is that, when this war is over, someone either from Hamas or claiming their mantle, will stand atop a mountain of corpses of their own people and say 'We won, because we weren't exterminated' and the world over will act like they actually did.

Let me say this as a Jew-

Israel has gone too far in their response. Did Hamas deserve to be attacked after 10/7? Absolutely. Do I think they should be wiped off the face of the earth? Yes. Can I excuse an attack on hospitals after it's been proven that Hamas is using them as command centers? I don't like it, but I accept it.

Do I accept Israel bombing Gaza into a parking lot, indiscriminately killing innocent women and children? Hell no.

Netanyahu and most of his cronies in the far right are absolutely committing war crimes, and deserve to be brought to The Hague in chains.

[Dalak]

Don’t Fall for the Latest Changes to the Dangerous Kids Online Safety Act

I'm surprised that anyone who claims to care about slippery slopes isn't upset by this blatant act.

Why can Liz Cheney talking about the GOP's fealty to Putin, but theMedia won't .

Cheney warns of Republican Party ‘Putin wing’ after Navalny death

Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get an explanation about how our concerns are meaningless as the problem is exaggerated.

The Democrats don’t support white nationalists and Nazis in their ranks — you are welcome to your opinion but the party that promotes, supports and is supported by white nationalists is clearly the less “moral” choice for those who seek a unified America.

Even our resident “moderate” conservative would rather spend months and years criticizing “liberals” and LGBT rights than even one week criticizing white supremacists and Nazis in his own party.

In your own post you point out that Republicans are blocking aid to Ukraine — there is absolutely no real equivocation to be made on these issues in that one party attempts to fix things while the other lies, cheats, discriminates, and obstructs progress.

Which I agree with you on that. My stance was , right now all the people proclaiming certain parties/people are on moral high grounds....well no one is really. Because as we see with Republicans , RFK , Tucker , and Democrats ....we can't all take a huge high ground on morals. Sure on some things we as Democrats can....we can point to Russia and know...ok we were right.

We can point to that video and go , yep were glad were Democrats to not have that type of support.

But we also gotta take some hard shots at ignoring war situations going on. As bad as they are. No party is perfect right now....Democrats just are better leaders and have shown it.

Different situations sure and it HAS gone too far.

https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/20...-estimated-500

Honestly 30 , you can condemn both situations and want people to do better. I voted for Biden but I can say this is a terrible situation and really wished he'd push for it to stop.

The reacting has went too far....once you start bombing hospitals....sorry . Its just how it is.

I'm still voting Democrat due to how Biden has handled the economy and Russia. But I can say , this is a situation where he needs to demand things stop.

Demand? Israel aren’t a vassal state so that’s surely not an option.

Is it, though?

Is Israel's slaughter 'okay' because it's more efficient and polite?

I agree that Hamas needs to be wiped out to the last man, but Israel, especially under Ben N, is not reacting/acting as morally as they could.

That said, a big problem IMO is that, when this war is over, someone either from Hamas or claiming their mantle, will stand atop a mountain of corpses of their own people and say 'We won, because we weren't exterminated' and the world over will act like they actually did.

Let me say this as a Jew-

Israel has gone too far in their response. Did Hamas deserve to be attacked after 10/7? Absolutely. Do I think they should be wiped off the face of the earth? Yes. Can I excuse an attack on hospitals after it's been proven that Hamas is using them as command centers? I don't like it, but I accept it.

Do I accept Israel bombing Gaza into a parking lot, indiscriminately killing innocent women and children? Hell no.

Netanyahu and most of his cronies in the far right are absolutely committing war crimes, and deserve to be brought to The Hague in chains.

Both sides of this specific online debate have valid points. While the situation in Gaza has gone beyond a reprisal (When you ask everyone Not-Hamas to crowd into a place you then later start bombing anyway, there's no real argument against that) Biden has been doing what he can to exert pressure, and with the politics involving Israel being what they are and the knee-jerk reactions it causes in some I can see why he isn't doing as much as others & I would like. As for the influence that the US has with Israel, we supply them with billions in aid yearly on top of what we've given them since 10/7. Considering the games played with aid to Ukraine and other $, I imagine this could be leveraged if the politics surrounding the situation weren't so polarizing. When dealing with war crimes my hesitance to play politics with aid $ disappears.

My stance on the entire situation has always been that Hamas has to go and that Israel should strive to be better than the US in this, but they consistently haven't. To be clear I don't think they're being worse considering our actions concerning indigenous tribes and other minorities along with our actions in the middle east, but they certainly aren't acting any better than us.

If they end recreational sex, won't that put all their mistresses out of work?

Only if they don't force them to have abortions.

I'm sure it's just a coincidence.

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/202...&pm_medium=web

https://twitter.com/Esqueer_/status/1759549109478871436

Too bad they can't come up with a legal way to put Raichik on trial for the murder.

Sure, but that doesn't mean Raichik wasn't right about one thing, one time. And that is all that matters.

The right will, of course, blame the NB murder victim for this.

Ryan Walters said that a transgender student was a threat to the physical safety of other students. The superintendent said that.

But I'm sure that's just a coincidence too.

This is the danger inherent in this rhetoric that many been warning of for years now, and now we have schoolchildren beating each other to death over this excrement. This is what supporting the hate-focused GoP and defending the transphobic actions of conservatives like LoTT has resulted in. Between this and the ammosexual focus on killing any chance at reasonable gun control, I hope everyone who's going to vote Republican can look at children they know and realize their choices have led to them being less safe now than ever.

[JackDaw]

I agree that Hamas needs to be wiped out to the last man, but Israel, especially under Ben N, is not reacting/acting as morally as they could.

I don't think that ("wiping out Hamas to the last man") is a credible objective (in that I don't think Israeli intelligence...as good as it is...can have all the relevant info".)

And Hamas will have plenty of support among women and children, so the seeds of future tragedy would be left however extreme the death toll. The more extreme the cull the greater the hatred carried into the future.

So effectively I think Israel should do the minimum needed, with the immediate objective of ensuring good security for its citizens. (But what is that minimum?? I don't envy the people that have to make decisions like that.)

[Maine Starfish]

hamas committed crimes and can be held accountable

but that doesn't mean all Palestinians should be held accountable, it doesn't justify Israel indiscriminately bombing the people of Gaza, it doesn't justify killing children, or journalists, or hospital staff, it doesn't justify starving people, it doesn't justify forcing people from their homes, all of this is a form of collective punishment which is unacceptable

[Kirby101]

Israel is a complex situation, and I can see us supporting Israel while also questioning or condemning what Netanyahu is doing.

But I cannot see any comparison with Republicans supporting Putin and not willing to help Ukraine. The only reason I can see for that is that Putin has power over them.

[Maine Starfish]

I don't think there is anything complex about opposing the killing of thousands of children in Gaza

obviously we're talking about the Israeli government here, not the Israeli people in general

[Adam Allen]

You start by saying that these are my opinions, so I'm curious what you disagree with in the post.

"Sexual function is important, but there is also the specific concern that people are giving up something without any experience of it." Do you disagree with this?

"The ability to have children is also important to the majority of the people on the planet." Do you disagree with this?

"There are additional side effects." Do you disagree with this?

"I'm curious about the idea that people in the center and right treat similar situations differently. If these were side effects of an anti-depression drug (which is kind of how it's described) there would be serious concern, especially for its use on minors. It wouldn't mean that anyone's reducing mental health rights to sex." What are similar situations in which the center and right

"In this case, there are serious trade-offs." Do you disagree that there are tradeoffs?

"Although it could be that the advantages make up for it." Presumably you agree that a sober analysis of the tradeoffs can come out in favor of gender-affirming care.

What I actually said was, "I understand that you have your opinions."

You assumed that implied disagreement, but that was not my intent. It is not (necessarily) that I disagree with anything that you've said; it's that you bring up your points as if they might possibly be things that transgender people, or their doctors, have not considered.

I mean, if you consider people who have devoted their entire lives to a profession, gone through years of schooling, tons of additional training, and in fact spend all their working hours focused on the topic ... it seems strange to me, that you would oppose gender-affirming care, and in support of that opposition, bring up fairly basic considerations. This is what seemed paternal, to me. Discussion of your concerns might be more welcome, if you had not already proved at least dismissive if not outright hostile to professional (and personal) opinions that include experience and knowledge outside of your own.

"It could also be that we discover ways to mitigate the trade-offs." I don't think anyone believes we've reached the limits of quality of gender-affirming care.

I think you're going after impressions of what I've said, rather than the specifics.

I haven't said I know better than others. I am disappointed by basic factual mistakes and gaps in knowledge by supporters of transgender rights, which does worry me about their conclusions. I'm generally more ambivalent than certain on this topic.

On whether this is a topic where people like me are too paternal, there are four relevant points.

There are many different views in American politics. All of us disagree with most of them.

The views of therapists and the trans community aren't going to address whether someone who identifies as trans at twelve in a different environment than most transgender adults will identify as trans at thirty-two.

There would be a question about how to identify relevant stakeholders, and that's got implications. If a city allocates money towards gender-affirming care, who decides how it should be spent? I'm pretty sure you could find some activists who will waste the money on something different or ineffective.

In this society, we generally make decisions based on a variety of viewpoints and experiences. Voters and their elected officials are not a hivemind. I know there are arguments on the right that the local police and the military should be allowed to do what they feel is best, without any oversight, and we generally recognize that's ridiculous. We're allocating finite resources, and codifying what everyone can do.

I can't speak for "supporters of transgender rights" and I believe I have been careful to ask and respond to your opinions, not for any other voters. Neither of us is elected to speak for anyone else, so probably best to avoid doing so.

Fair enough if you are sometimes disappointed in how some others express their opinions. But I think it reasonable that you not assume that transgender people themselves are making basic factual mistakes or have gaps in knowledge about the experience of their own lives. Or that professionals licensed in areas that you are not, are not all collectively making basic factual mistakes or having gaps in knowledge about their professions.

So, forgetting "supporters" -- where is your place, between the patients and their doctors? Do you somehow have more basic facts and knowledge than all of them?

Or is it possible you should believe them, because they know their lives better than you do? Possibly?

[numberthirty]

https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trum...d-fine-1871176

GoFundMe Responds to Calls To Shut Down Donald Trump Fundraiser

GoFundMe has responded to concerns a page set up after Donald Trump was fined in his civil fraud judgment is in breach of the platform's rules.

Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson from the platform confirmed that the page, which was set up for the former president on Friday, following Judge Arthur Engoron's ruling that Trump will have to pay roughly $355 million in penalties for fraud, was "within its terms and services" despite people voicing their concerns about it on social media.

[numberthirty]

If someone will spot them the numbers being on the level, it is sitting at just over a half a million.

[CaptainEurope]

Do tell. He was probably one of those clowns who bitched about the high price of gas and groceries, but, he had nine grand to waste on gaudy ass sneakers that were made in China for ten bucks. SMDH.

It was some CEO... checks note ... born in Russia.

[Username taken]

Let me say this as a Jew-

Israel has gone too far in their response. Did Hamas deserve to be attacked after 10/7? Absolutely. Do I think they should be wiped off the face of the earth? Yes. Can I excuse an attack on hospitals after it's been proven that Hamas is using them as command centers? I don't like it, but I accept it.

Do I accept Israel bombing Gaza into a parking lot, indiscriminately killing innocent women and children? Hell no.

Netanyahu and most of his cronies in the far right are absolutely committing war crimes, and deserve to be brought to The Hague in chains.

Exactly this.

Israel had a right to go after Hamas and decimate them.

The issue is how far its gone. Israel's response is now disproportionate and should be called out. The IDF has literally killed Israeli hostages in all this. That's how extreme the action is.

There are videos of children being bombed to death in Gaza. All lived are equal and the lives of innocents in Gaza are the same in Israel.

[4saken1]

I don't think that ("wiping out Hamas to the last man") is a credible objective (in that I don't think Israeli intelligence...as good as it is...can have all the relevant info".)

And Hamas will have plenty of support among women and children, so the seeds of future tragedy would be left however extreme the death toll. The more extreme the cull the greater the hatred carried into the future.

So effectively I think Israel should do the minimum needed, with the immediate objective of ensuring good security for its citizens. (But what is that minimum?? I don't envy the people that have to make decisions like that.)

I agree. In their goal to completely eliminating Hamas, Israel is actually creating more of them (or whatever the next generation will call themselves) through their inhumane tactics. I think in large part they know this will create a perpetual cycle, the end result of which will see all of Gaza and the West Bank as Israeli settlements with very few Palestinians.

[4saken1]

Trump breaks silence on Navalny death, says US 'in decline'

Donald Trump on Monday ended his lengthy silence on the death of Alexei Navalny, in a statement that avoided criticism of the Kremlin and instead portrayed the Russian opposition leader's sudden passing as a sign of a collapsing United States.

Navalny died in unexplained circumstances at age 47 in an Arctic prison last week, shocking Russia's exiled opposition as well as the West, where leaders have blamed President Vladimir Putin and authorities in Moscow.

But former US president Trump, who is leading in Republican Party primary polls ahead of the United States' November elections, had been mum on the issue -- in the face of growing criticism -- until a Monday social media post which focused on what he called a "failing" America.

"The sudden death of Alexei Navalny has made me more and more aware of what is happening in our country," Trump said on his Truth Social website.

"It is a slow, steady progression, with crooked, radical left politicians, prosecutors and judges leading us down a path to destruction."

Trump decried "open borders, rigged elections and grossly unfair courtroom decisions" in the United States, which he called "a nation in decline."

The post did not mention the Russian government or Putin.

What a tool!

[AnakinFlair]

Exactly this.

Israel had a right to go after Hamas and decimate them.

The issue is how far its gone. Israel's response is now disproportionate and should be called out. The IDF has literally killed Israeli hostages in all this. That's how extreme the action is.

There are videos of children being bombed to death in Gaza. All lived are equal and the lives of innocents in Gaza are the same in Israel.

It's not even just that (even though all of that his horrible). Israel's actions have had the effect of creating more hatred towards Jews around the world. Netanyahu is endangering not just the people in his own country, but Jews in other countries that are being painted with the same brush he is. And that't not just theory, it's a proveable fact. And it sickens me that no one in the Israeli government has spoken up about that.

[useridgoeshere]

It's not even just that (even though all of that his horrible). Israel's actions have had the effect of creating more hatred towards Jews around the world. Netanyahu is endangering not just the people in his own country, but Jews in other countries that are being painted with the same brush he is. And that't not just theory, it's a proveable fact. And it sickens me that no one in the Israeli government has spoken up about that.

If people hate Jews because of what’s going on, they always hated Jews. It might reveal anti-Semitism, but it didn’t create it.