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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 7, 2025

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I'm assuming the riffs on "who now remembers the genocide of the Armenians" is fully intentional? ;)

I think it’s a thought more like the natives in the Americas, or most other similar wars. They used to be fought to completion and capitulation— basically until the losing side would understand that not only can they never win, but that even attempting this will do nothing to the enemy but mean decimated populations for that losing side. This is simply the natural order of human civilization as it happed from time immemorial. What happened to the Hittites? They were eventually conquered and absorbed into the Assyrian empire that eventually was itself absorbed into the Ottoman Empire. Those who were once a big empire are now assimilated to the point that they no longer exist as a people.

And especially with Israel — a small state about the size of New Jersey — I see capitulation as the only real answer as there’s just not enough room for two states to exist next to each other with no friction. That’s assuming a two-state solution in which all sides want to get along, which isn’t true. Put two armed camps next to each other and you not only get the region at war constantly, but the fallout of those wars causing political instability in other countries. If Palestine became obviously untenable with the only options being either leaving the region or assimilation into Israeli society as Arab Israelis, the entire thing will eventually settle down. Being a Palestinian Israeli will be perhaps a cultural affiliation, but it will be reduced to dances, food, the practice of Islam, etc. much like Souix still exist and accept that they exist only as a cultural enclave kept alive via song, dance, story, foods, and religion, but with no hope of a country of their own.