So, apparently a lot of the leftists I talked to about the cease fire proposal don't seem particularly interested in backing Biden, or even giving credit. Now they're saying the cease fire isnt good enough because it isn't on hamas' terms and they likely won't agree to it. Some are now claiming they want an end to "the illegal occupation" and they want a permanent solution of some kind that establishes a palestinian state. That's not how this works, that's not how any of this works.
Look, i get being concerned about civilian casualties. Even I backed off my initial support of Israel because of how OVERKILL Israel was acting. Like, they basically were/are bombing palestinians with so much brutality that it could be construed as a de facto genocide. And even I'm like, yeah, this is too much, tone it down, like...a lot. And when it seemed clear that they weren't going to, I was just, like, yeah...F this entire conflict.
But let's be real. If Israel is willing to come to the bargaining table, and Palestine isn't, whose fault is that? It's Palestine's. And honestly, palestine has zero leverage. Like that's what these leftists dont understand. War is the ultimate settler of disputes. Where words and talking and rule of law don't work, law is the final arbiter of who gets their way. The winners win, the losers lose, and the losers have to suck it up and deal with it.
In previous eras of history, Palestinians would likely be enslaved, assimilated by force, or flat out genocided by now. i'm not saying that's a good thing, I wanna be clear, I'm not endorsing it. But prior to 1945, that was how humans settled things. You lose a war, you were conquered, and the dominant power had their way with you. Israel went through ALL of this in the distant past, and they genocided the Canaanites. Again, not saying in this era of more civility that that's the solution, but still, force is used to get one's way. And basically, the way Israel has been going to town on Palestine, Israel has made their point. They are the dominant faction, they are the winners. Palestine are the losers. Palestine doesn't have much negotiating room. I would say they are in "unconditional surrender" territory. Why do you think we bombed Germany and Japan to the ground like we did? To get an unconditional surrender. Basically, you lost so completely and definitively, that there's no dispute. You have to surrender and accept our terms no matter what they are. That's where Israel and Palestine are at. If they wanna keep fighting, they're gonna keep getting slaughtered, and at this point, it's on them as far as I'm concerned. They have an out, if they won't take it, that's their problem. Heck, that's how we got here in the first place. 1948 was a devastating loss for Palestinian nationalism. They F-ed around with israel and found out. In 1967 they tried again and Israel won so completely that that was the point of basically "unconditional surrender". but still, these guys kept fighting as terrorists, and still fighting wars they've long since lost. And it's just led to israel, again, and again, massacring Palestinians in horribly one sided conflicts that never end well for palestine. And this latest conflict was ANOTHER one of these, with israel responding so forcefully and completely that I dont think there's any dispute who is top dog in the region.
Compare this with say, WWI. Ya know, I actually watched all quiet on the western front not long ago, and Germany....really kept trying to push for peace. They would go to the french asking to stop this madness, and then the french gave them some ridiculous terms that they wouldnt accept, so the war kept going on. But eventually, they did accept terms, and they were devastating to germany. Again, that's war. Sometimes conflicts are prolonged because whoever blinks first loses and has to accept the terms of their opponent. That's why in WWII that we pushed for UNCONDITIONAL surrender, so we could score a loss so devastating that they had no further arguments. And that seems to be where palestine is with israel. They've lost so completely that to continue this conflict is madness. As I said, in the old days, if we kept going like this, we WOULD have a genocide on our hands, not that I support that. I actually think Palestine needs to accept the deal, whatever it is. Maybe they won't like it, but they have no further bargaining power, and at least it will end the bloodshed.
What the left seems to expect from Biden in REALITY is rather than mediating and working out a framework for peace, they want the peace to be on their own terms. They want Biden to actually pressure israel with political hardball of our own to FORCE them to give the palestinians terms that these leftists find amenable. And I just see no value in that. Because israel won't accept it, palestine won't accept it, and any agreement that would force israel to the table like that would severely damage our relationship with them. The US cant just go and condone a de facto genocide, and maybe there is a point in the US distancing themselves from this mess if Israel is gonna get too brutal and barbaric here, but seriously, what did you think would happen? A cease fire was always doomed to look like this. This is why I myself never pushed for one. Because you got two factions, they both want what they want, neither are willing to negotiate, and IMO it isn't our business to step in. Let these guys do what they want, they ARE bringing it on themselves somewhat by being so stubborn and refusing to negotiate or compromise, and honestly, it's weird how the people who normally say we shouldnt be the world police suddenly want us to be the world police in order to force the outcome THEY want. They dont even live there, this conflict is none of their business.
IMO, a cease fire has always been a bad idea. I know it doesnt solve anything, it doesnt make people happy, and while it might stop fighting it seems to do so in a "school teacher separating the two kids fighting" kind of way. It doesnt solve the root cause, it just temporary stops them from going ham on each other. But, the people pushed for it, they wanted it, they screamed for it, and honestly, I just want the democrats to win the next election, man, I dont care. if this gets us there, then so be it. Not my ideal policy, but democracy belongs to the voters and if they're gonna take a stand and demand such a thing, so be it. Let it be done.
But again, now they're moving the goal posts, and honestly, it really shows it's not about the cease fire, it's about a lot of these guys just being pro palestine and potentially pro hamas radicals. And ya know what? If they dont vote for Biden after he does this, then Biden is right to never listen to these guys again. And you know what? That hurts other lefties, like me, who do want to get left wing concessions from democrats. Im starting to understand why people just ignore the left. Because they scream and throw temper tantrums, and you give them what they ask for, and then they just demand more, and don't stop. Im not saying every democratic compromise is good, or that there isnt more progress to be made, but honestly, I kinda think if Biden does the bare minimum, giving him a second term is also the bare minimum, and we can revisit this in 2028. if Biden wins, 2028 is likely going to be THE election year to push things. And we all know what I want. but again, if Biden loses, and trump wins, and trump does the unthinkable, there won't even be a 2028 to deal with. Or if there is, and Trump doesnt literally implode democracy, we might be in so much different place the dems will tell us to vote for another worthless centrist to avoid another term of republicans and voters won't be in the mood for change. Idk.
All I know is right now, reelecting Biden (granted he's the nominee) should be our #1 concern, and we can worry about other stuff later. It baffles me that people make this their red line in the first place, and it frustrates me more when Biden tries to accommodate them and they complain. Honestly, if Biden has another path, he should consider it. Because these leftists just arent worth listening to at this point, and I say this as someone who didnt vote for Biden last time in 2020.
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