naraburns nihil supernum
1yr ago
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Israel-Gaza Megathread #1
This is a megathread for any posts on the conflict between (so far, and so far as I know) Hamas and the Israeli government, as well as related geopolitics. Culture War thread rules apply.
Why is it a war crime to demand the hostages before opening the border? Hamas isn’t a random terrorist group, they are the government of the Gaza Strip. They are in possession of the hostages.
Because it is instrumentalizing the suffering of the population to pressure the government. Terrorism at its most basic definition.
...and what was shooting up the music festival?
Near as I can tell, most of the arguments against turning the Gaza strip into a parking lot boil down to "the Jews are a bunch meanies for not allowing themselves to be driven into the sea in 1948"
Most people (worldwide) who are using these arguments are just using them as a stick to beat Israel with. But there's also a very conservative line of thought which holds ones friends and allies to higher standards than one's enemies. Hamas are a bunch of vicious terrorists, no one expects better from them, but Israel is a member of the community of nations and must be expected to do better. Of course this is all very high sounding in the abstract, but when the rubber hits the road it's "cooperating with defectbot" or "allowing oneself to be slaughtered".
TBH I kinda wonder if the real point isn't the pressure, but to degrade fighting capacity for when they go in. Urban warfare sucks at the best of times, I doubt you could do it very well if you haven't had a drink of water in a week.
Pretty much, yeah, though the level of "terror" inflicted by reducing consumer access to high tech goods is obviously so thoroughly different from food and water and basic medical needs that it's a difference in kind.
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Notes -
Why is it a war crime to demand the hostages before opening the border? Hamas isn’t a random terrorist group, they are the government of the Gaza Strip. They are in possession of the hostages.
Because it is instrumentalizing the suffering of the population to pressure the government. Terrorism at its most basic definition.
...and what was shooting up the music festival?
Near as I can tell, most of the arguments against turning the Gaza strip into a parking lot boil down to "the Jews are a bunch meanies for not allowing themselves to be driven into the sea in 1948"
I mean God forbid that tit be met with tat
Terrorism. I'm not sure what your point is.
If you want to say that terrorism is ok as long as the other guy did it first, just say that. But it doesn't make something not what it is.
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Most people (worldwide) who are using these arguments are just using them as a stick to beat Israel with. But there's also a very conservative line of thought which holds ones friends and allies to higher standards than one's enemies. Hamas are a bunch of vicious terrorists, no one expects better from them, but Israel is a member of the community of nations and must be expected to do better. Of course this is all very high sounding in the abstract, but when the rubber hits the road it's "cooperating with defectbot" or "allowing oneself to be slaughtered".
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TBH I kinda wonder if the real point isn't the pressure, but to degrade fighting capacity for when they go in. Urban warfare sucks at the best of times, I doubt you could do it very well if you haven't had a drink of water in a week.
Unlikely as the fighters will get absolute priority and they likely have enough in the tunnels for the soldiers stockpiled for a siege.
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Are all economic sanctions terrorism then?
Yep.
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Pretty much, yeah, though the level of "terror" inflicted by reducing consumer access to high tech goods is obviously so thoroughly different from food and water and basic medical needs that it's a difference in kind.
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