It would be really bizarre if I, of all people, suddenly supported preventative invasions and regime-change-motivated bombings of peaceful cities. It would truly be the definition of hypocrisy.
Preventative
Opinions, art, debate
Opinions, art, debate
It would be really bizarre if I, of all people, suddenly supported preventative invasions and regime-change-motivated bombings of peaceful cities. It would truly be the definition of hypocrisy.
Clarissa's Blog 
I would be very interested in your reaction to today’s conversation between Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson. Bannon in particular has revived my interest in what he has to say, because he has a very clear characterization of the core agenda of “Trumpism”: close the borders and deport the illegals, reform trade and bring back good jobs, and “end the forever wars”, as well as a national security doctrine of hemispheric defense. Bannon says the US has been governed for decades by a neoliberal-neoconservative synthesis, and the deep state establishment sees this moment as its chance to derail this form of Trumpism.
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It’s not possible to be pro-Russian and anti-neoliberal. It’s as likely as being pro-trans and pro-grounded in reality. These people are either so primitive that they truly don’t get it or complete liars.
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It’s just that Bannon, in particular, offers the clearest and most forthright formulation of a logical American nationalism that I’ve heard in a long time. (Unless I’m forgetting someone.) I would probably support those three priorities if I was an American. I think he also agrees with you that this agenda is being endangered by possible American involvement in Israel’s war against Iran.
The main stumbling block is just that he and Carlson not only view Ukraine’s war with Russia in the same way, but (unlike their expressed attitudes towards Israel) they have adopted genuinely anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian views. Now that I think about it, there’s a political quadrant of attitudes here, about whether the West should support Ukraine and/or Israel:
Ukraine YES, Israel NO: you (and who else?)
Ukraine NO, Israel NO: Carlson, Bannon, isolationists and socialists
Ukraine YES, Israel YES: the political mainstream in both parties
Ukraine NO, Israel YES: Trump?? (and who else?)
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You are simplifying my position by this “Ukraine yes, Israel no.” Ukraine yes what? Israel no what?
I’m very supportive of Israel but I do not believe that the US should fight an actual war against whoever Israel dislikes at any given moment.
If Ukraine decided to invade Belarus, I’d not support the US joining the war. Moreover, even in an invasive war of Russia against Ukraine, I don’t for a second want the US to enter the war. Nobody wants that. Ukraine never asked for that. If Ukraine asked for what Israel is asking right now, I’d be “Ukraine no”, too.
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“Ukraine YES, Israel NO:”
This is “politics as sports teams” which is a major degradation of the process and reduces everything to short term moral victories of no greater importance.
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What I’m really for is the nation-state. One can predict very easily what I’ll think about any new development if one keeps this in mind.
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Donal Trump from years ago would have agreed:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GtnXBYMXQAA2qSS?format=jpg&name=medium
Let’s see if he walks the walk.
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this never gets old:
https://x.com/MikeBenzCyber/status/1934723470698361052
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I understand it’s supposed to be humorous but I sincerely have no idea wherein lies the joke.
Humor and me are not good friends.
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It’s the part where they always hold press conferences on dumb weird things when they want to distract the public from dumb military stuff we’re about to get involved in.
“Wait… are we about to invade Iran?”
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Right! Ok, thank you, I now get it.
I’m still hoping that we’ll step back from this. Has the war with Iraq taught us nothing? Or Libya?
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Iran is not “peaceful”. They have been bombing Israel through Hezbollah and the Houthis since Oct 7. They attacked Israel twice with hundreds of ballistic missiles. They also financed and supported Hamas and repeatedly threatened to annihilate Israel. I know Putin has been taking advantage of the distraction to hurt Ukraine and it’s upsetting, but Israel’s attack on Iran is justified.
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Israel can do whatever it wants. It’s the possibility of my country’s participation that angers me.
I can repeat the arguments about where the US involvement in the Middle East always leads but I’m not sure it will have any effect.
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