Child Groomer, Sexual Predator
3,714 posts
In my opening post to this thread I offered some thoughts on the conflict for which I was called by someone here a "long-winded, annoying little cuss" probably because I stated my position in a way that left little room for the usual twisting and maligning of my words, so the only recourse left was some juvenilely snide dismissal.
However, nine days hence, my thoughts on the subject remain unchanged in that the actions of extremists, past and present, on both sides of the aisle, have once again resulted what may well be the deaths of thousands, across the region, including actions by those who've placed the well being of their OWN people in peril,
as OFTEN the case when the arrogance and conceit of militants, extremists, dictators, and authoritarians endanger their OWN to achieve their ends,
whether that be actions of aggression that leave little room for any response other than something equally reprehensible, or the sending in of one's own countrymen to die in a personal quest to achieve a 'new world order,' or the denial of a deadly pandemic that leads to the unnecessary deaths of one's own constituency.
At this point in the Israeli-Hamas conflict, we now suspect there were outside influences and support (IF not direct involvement) for Hamas' initiating assault upon unarmed civilians in Israel.
We know that over 200 hostages have been taken, among them, Americans, and that 32 Americans have been killed.
We know of the dire circumstances of Palestinian civilians caught in the crossfire, the desolation of whole communities, and the deaths of many, including the men women and children who sought refuge near a hospital only to die in a deadly bombing... the perpetrators of this horrific act, still in dispute.
We know that U.S. embassies have come under attack, in Assad's Syria (another of Putin's pals) and elsewhere. That a U.S. ship had shot down drones and missiles fired from places unknown, and that American troops have been fired upon in Syria. We know that Syria is backed by Iran, and we know Iran is an ally of Putin.
All, imo, signs of an ongoing and up-ramping de facto war, between forces of authoritarianism and dictatorship on the one side, and democracies on the other.
And if the so-called "free world" and NATO don't know that yet, they SHOULD. America, and indeed the world, stand upon a precipice.