cubsfan

@Xerxes Thanks for the clarification. Seriously, I had more problems with the interviewer not being impartial than anything.

Here is what I heard on this great podcast: -- They mentioned 2 state solution and ceasefire about 30 times -- They never mentioned once - what about the hostages? Really? - how disingenuous -- They mentioned that EVERYONE wants a ceasefire. And reviewed country by country why a ceasefire was desired. Of course, they NEVER asked what Israel required FOR a cease fire. Totally avoided Israeli interests. Seriously? Good luck with that. Israel holds all the cards. -- They talked about what does the United States have to do to force a ceasefire, and how they have failed. No shit - it's Israel's war for survival. Imagine Canada dictating to the US what/when we should stop a war if we are being attacked. -- They talk about why Iran wants "assurances" not to be attacked by Israel in Damascus or Iran. Of course they avoid the key issue: Why did Hezbollah (Iran's proxy) attack Israel, before Israel had even attacked Gaza? Why did Hezbollah involve itself? Why does Iran continue to ship arms to Hezbollah and supply military advisors? -- The clincher at the end was - when he asked the Iranian - Why does Iran want a ceasefire? His answer: So that Hamas is NOT destroyed, and Israel will not be able to turn their attention to Hezbollah. -- Not one mention about Hamas being a terrorist organization and what they perpetrated on Oct 7th. Not one question from the interviewer about terrorism. So it's a totally disingenous interview - where I fault the interviewer for avoiding the OBVIOUS questions: Why is Iran involved when it was not attacked? and What does Israel want?

At some point, when Hamas is defeated, the reality will sink in for the Gaza Palestinians: that Hamas alone destroyed their country. The 66% that expect Hamas to win are not dealing in reality. It's understandable for them to feel that way, given the 70% approval Hamas was given for the Oct 7th attack - but now they are seeing there homeland leveled - and they did not expect that reaction from Israel. Defeat will be a very tough pill to swallow, but it's virtually assured for Gaza. When the Palestinians realize the truth - that THEY alone violated a long standing ceasefire in place before Oct 7th, and therefore, they are not in any position to demand any ceasefire from Israel - perhaps they will jettison Hamas for good. Until then, there will be no peace, and public opinion polls won't matter.

It will be essential for the Military to continue reading Dr Ibram X Kendi and his most famous quote: "The only remedy for past discrimination is future discrimination" That will do wonders for unit cohesion, a key tenet of the armed forces.

^^^ Typical moronic response: Shoot the messenger, since you can't make a coherent argument. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news for you.

If you strike the Mag 7, what does it look like then?

Interesting. Not at all up on his agenda, although he has some appeal.

Wow - interesting that Kennedy had no respect for another country’s right to choose their own self-defense.

For the DEI lovers that think that a great institution like the US Military can't be impacted, as our Universities have been harmed:

V. Recommendations While politicization of the military has dangerous implications for both the lives of servicemembers and U.S. national security, these problems can be solved by implementing policies that restore the DOD’s focus to warfighting. Eliminate the DEI Construct from DOD. Congress (or a future Administration) should direct the elimination of the entire DEI construct within the DOD. Offices and staffs that were formerly titled as Equal Opportunity (EO) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) should be restored in their stead to ensure that the military remains free from prejudice, bigotry, unequal treatment, and discrimination. These newly restored EO and EEO offices should be staffed at the level necessary to investigate complaints and provide necessary training but at a level no larger than 1:2,000 EO/EEO staff/military or civilian members to uniformed servicemembers. Congress should require a full audit of the current DEI bureaucracy in the DOD, including all staff, programs, and funding. Congress should pass legislation expressly barring the use of appropriated dollars to fund race-conscious selections, assignments, accessions, or promotions. Congress should require that fields of study at service academies be in fields traceable to military needs such as military history, leadership, nuclear engineering, personnel management, or software development. Because the U.S. government is fully underwriting the cost of this education, the list of available academic disciplines should be narrowly focused on the needs of the DOD.86 U.S. Military Academy West Point, “The Home of Army Sociology,” https://www.westpoint.edu/academics/academic-departments/behavioral-sciences-and-leadership/sociology (accessed February 3, 2023). Congress should pass legislation prohibiting the instruction or propagation of critical theories such as CRT as part of military training. Rather than specifying “CRT,” which can often be challenging to find and prove, prohibit the instruction of any idea that: Violates the Civil Rights Act of 1964, including that individuals of any race, ethnicity, color, or national origin are inherently superior or inferior; Teaches that individuals should be adversely or advantageously treated on the basis of their race, ethnicity, color, or national origin; Holds that individuals, by virtue of race, ethnicity, color, or national origin, bear collective guilt and are inherently responsible for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, ethnicity, color, or national origin.87 See, for example, news release, “Cotton Introduces Bill to Combat Racist Training in the Military,” Office of Senator Tom Cotton, March 25, 2021, https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-introduces-bill-to-combat-racist-training-in-the-military (accessed February 3, 2023). Rather than present flawed academic theories that America is systemically racist, Congress should require the DOD to present military training that focuses on promoting opportunity for minorities and women and the significant role these groups and individuals have played in service to the nation. The history of segregation and unequal treatment should be confronted so that hard-won progress is celebrated and servicemembers understand how prejudice, racism, and sexism are intolerable and destructive to combat effectiveness. Congress should direct the service academies, to the maximum extent possible, to rely on uniformed military professors and Title 10 employees except when it is not possible to train a military member to perform those duties. Civilian professors from academia sometimes arrive at the military academies with agendas to advance orthodoxies associated with critical theories or DEI policies. Congress should explicitly prohibit non-merit-based criteria in selection for the military academies. Actively solicit more applications from more diverse communities but select the best applicants regardless of identity categories.

^^^^ Will be sure to put you down as dubious.. https://www.heritage.org/defense/report/report-the-national-independent-panel-military-service-and-readiness Specifically, evidence indicates that appointed Pentagon political leaders are dragging divisive progressive social justice ideologies into an institution that, for 248 years, has sought to remain apolitical and neutral. In fiscal year (FY) 2022, the U.S. military had the worst year for recruiting since the advent of the all-volunteer force in 1973. FY 2023 is already trending worse still According to the Ronald Reagan Institute’s November 2022 poll, the most frequently selected reason for decreased trust in the U.S. military was the “military leadership becoming overly politicized.” Over two-thirds of active-duty military surveyed said they witnessed politicization in the military, and 65 percent of active-duty personnel are concerned about growing politicization of the military. Their most selected areas for concern were “An over emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs” (41 percent) Moreover, 68 percent of active-duty military personnel stated that politicization of the military would impact their decision to encourage their children to join, which is particularly concerning given the role that military families play in recruiting. One of the central organizing principles of the DOD has become to view all matters through the lens of DEI, which is inessential if not actively harmful to warfighting capabilities. One of the manifestations of the emphasis on DEI is training in postmodernist theories such as critical race theory (CRT), an ideology rooted in Marxism that claims that America is fatally flawed by systemic racism and ruled by white privilege. The concept of CRT is anathema to the core principles of the U.S. military, an institution that depends on a team approach, one where every member must rely on one another and not have to worry that his leader or his subordinates doubt their abilities or decisions based on considerations of race, gender, or ethnicity.37 Wood, “Caught Red-Handed: Critical Race Theory Taught at West Point.” Rather, CRT is inherently divisive as it sets out to categorize individuals into groups of oppressors and victims, which cannot be overcome unless the entire system is overturned.

The United States military has disastrous recruiting problem. Voluntary enlistments among white males are way down. The Pentagon is like a dinasour caught in their own DEI tar pit: If you are a patriotic white young man, and have been vilified by the Pentagon brass who sees a need to root out white supremacy - then you got the message loud and clear - which is LGBTQ and racial status matter more than meritocracy - you're the problem Who in their right mind would sign up for that?

No - that's not right. The recruitment issue started the last few years. Blacks and hispanics have continued to sign up in the direct proportions as previously. The entire 50,000 deficit is due to to white males avoiding military service. DEI has been a disaster for military recruitment.

^^^ The Biden administration has demonized white males as racists - and vowed to root out white supremacists in the military. You might remember Pentagon General Mark Milley expresses his concern about "white rage" - and his commitment to DEI across the armed forces. His full commitment to Dr Ibram X Kendi and "anti-racism". Result: Recruitment numbers are down 50,000 - all white males. Since America's armed forces are predominately "white" - smart citizens have refused to enlist since the are labeled as "racist", when in fact, they love their country and consider it a privilege to serve their country. Such is the disaster of DEI.

Germany, Italy and Japan were occupied for many, many years by occupation forces of the victors until they PROVED they were no longer a threat to their neighbors. They were occupied precisely to control vestiges of radicalism that still lived on. Absolutely NO difference than Gaza. Again, a radically simple concept.

You’re dreaming dude. The Palestinians elected their own government - unfortunately , a terrorist government. No one runs the Gaza territory except Hamas. Pretty simple stuff really. I’m not missing a thing. You are playing with semantics - but go right ahead.

Yeah, this is so NOT true. It happened in Germany, Italy, Japan - all raging successes in the face of fanatical beliefs of being the master races. It will NOT be easy. It will require total defeat and humiliation of their leaders. Until that happens there will never be a chance for peace. Just think - it's all up to the Palestinians now.

Seriously, I'm not missing your point at all. I just don't buy it. "Palestine" encompassed large parts of Jordan as well - and the Palestinians tried to overthrow Jordan government. They got kicked out of Egypt as well. Kuwait kicked them out when the sided with Saddam. Lebanon is currently a failed state largely due to the PLO during the civil wars in Lebanon. Countries have tried with the Palestinians - and the smart Arab states know they can't live with them. 2 million Palestinians have a great life in Israel as Israeli citizens. The Palestinians were given Gaza - and they could do something with the West Bank - but they have proved they can't live with anyone EVEN as a peaceful neighbor. Arab states don't want them, and you think Israel will give up more territory to these terrorists that are "committed" to the destruction of the Jewish state. No way. The Palestinians can't even make something work in the territories they occupy.

^^^ I don't disagree. It's a terrible dilemma for Israeli, however they have no choice. The price will be high. We've seen vicious, ideological murder cults before: German Nazism, Soviet Communism, Italian Facism, Militaristic Japan, ISIS... in our own country the KKK. They can be destroyed, they can be controlled. Populations can be rehabilitated. Look what post-war miracles Japan, Italy, Germany are. Hell - they even deny their past, as if it never happened - after a total humiliation. Gaza will be the same way - the only choice is to obliterate and humiliate Hamas, and it's happening. Then maybe the Palestinians will realize that following a terrorist government will lead to nothing more than their own death, destruction and misery. Gaza could have been an economic miracle as well if they had not used their billions in aid to create a subterranean military city. Such fools.

A dishonest & corrupt media will do that for you - sway the public opinion. The same media that reported the Israelis hit a hospital and killed 500 Palestinians, until weeks later the truth was revealed that Hamas rockets did it.

No, that is exactly the right analogy. Unfortunately, the Palestinians are far from innocent. Once the Israelis go house-to-house in Gaza, they are finding weapons & munitions stashes in 50% of the Palestinian homes. They generally go straight to the children's rooms and find them hidden. And where do they find these hostages? Private homes Like the Rafa scam - the world screams bloody murder until 700 additional military tunnels are discovered in Rafa.

^^ Terrible. But if he's gonna wreck Ukraine, might as well wreck his own country.

^^^ great article & video

^^^ breathtaking!

^^ Working harder than others and paying the price for success teaches you so much about yourself. Don't believe the naysayers. It's generally worth the price.