Ma Laoshi, are you naming yourself after Lao She the great Chinese novelist? He’s a hero of mine.
All The Best,
johnf

Posted by: johnf | Dec 3 2024 18:08 utc | 204

@Menz | Dec 3 2024 5:40 utc | 181
>>Thomas Friedman: Israel […] “trying to hit only Hezbollah targets and
>>pro-Hezbollah neighborhoods”
Let’s face it, those Zios have a way with words, and will always be one step ahead if we let them control those. Were the Izzies to nuke all of Lebanon tomorrow (I’ve argued myself here that this isn’t viable in practice), I’m sure good old Tom would find it in himself to call Lebanon a “pro-Hezbollah country”, i.e. fair game. They’ll push and push this stuff, practically daring you to call them a jewish liar–after which it’s you who’ll get destroyed.
It’s intrinsic to Zionism. They say “jewish and democratic”, hoping the goyim will be too dumb to spot the contradiction–meaning that you’ll have to choose, which in fact already passed the point of no return after the Six-Day War. Not that Ben Gurion was a saint or anything, but he warned them. Be that as it may, so far the goyim haven’t disappointed.
————————–
@Fred | Dec 3 2024 5:46 utc | 184
>>Syria seems to be shaping up to be the mother of all proxy wars.
Indeed–and a useful reality check. Is there really a RoTW that can read Erdogan the riot act “It’s not 2015 any more: what almost worked then will fail miserably now”? A lot is at stake.
————————–
@michaelj72 | Dec 3 2024 6:52 utc | 185
>>Israel’s violations became so clear in the recent days […]
>>the American ”guarantor”
I mourn the dead but it is what it is. Was this even really an American deal when it was Amos Hochstein, nomen est omen, “negotiating” it? Where were the BRICS or some such offering Lebanon a better or at least more honest deal? Where is the UN finally waking the F up and using the “Uniting for Peace” formula? The USA is willing to go to the mat in the Levant, printing dollars as needed. All the others think “What scale of commitment do these dwarf countries merit anyway.” That’s even a sane thought, but of course it leaves Washington as top dog; at least there. Nobody else is close.
Only now with Syria on the ropes does the RoTW think “We should probably, you know, do something.” We’ll see what comes of it.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 3 2024 18:58 utc | 206

@johnf | Dec 3 2024 18:08 utc | 204
>>Ma Laoshi, are you naming yourself after Lao She the great Chinese novelist?
I may have heard about him but only in passing, which immediately lets on that I ain’t all that. 🙂 No “Ma” is the family-name part of my Chinese name–the only part I picked by myself without native assistance (because I knew of the cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and my Dutch birth family name starts with “Ma-“). So when I first came to Taiwan for a seminar visit decades ago, some students picked me up “Ma Laoshi Nin Hao” — “Hello teacher Ma”.
In Chinese (think Confucius), “laoshi” can be used for a lot of scholarly people and functions, and is all in all pretty good–so I liked it. Only higher up the food chain than myself currently do you become “jiaoshou” = “professor” or some such. Indeed, the first part “lao” = “old”, but here denotes seniority more generally. It also conveys respect in “laohu” = “tiger” and “laowai” = “foreigner, Westerner”; don’t worry, they also have less favorable terms for the latter if needed!
Since you can be what you want online, since then I’m Ma Laoshi there, be it in gaming, politics, whatever. 🙂 It’s not to claim authority here or elsewhere; I simply am a teacher of sorts, at least some of the time. Hope these clarify it.
—————
“But enough about myself, let’s talk about you. What did you think of my latest book?”

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 3 2024 19:28 utc | 208

There will be blowback over Erdogan’s action by the pro-Palestinian Turkish people. I think Erdogan will have a limited time to maneuver. For now, the media blackout over Syria will hold, but with Twitter, and the ability to have direct contact with Syrians, I doubt the blackout will hold long. Turks are fairly knowledgeable about geopolitics, very cynical and have a huge contingent of their population who absolutely hates Erdogan. There are many wolves in Turkey, it can be a brutal political world, they must Erdogan’s slip as an opportunity.

Posted by: Turk 152 | Dec 3 2024 19:52 utc | 210

“Helicopters, what helicopters?”

‘It Feels Like One Long Day’: Families and Survivors Mourn Nova Massacre on Its Anniversary
Hundreds gathered at Re’im Forest for a solemn ceremony marking pivotal moments of the October 7 Hamas attack, down to the minute

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2024-10-07/ty-article/.premium/it-feels-like-one-long-day-families-survivors-mourn-nova-massacre-on-its-anniversary/00000192-6721-da14-a1be-f72966100000
Archive: https://archive.ph/tKlwT
This is from Haaretz one of the more liberal news sources in Ziohazard.
How baked are the minds of the colonists? Do they ALL live in total ignorance and denial.
This is an article about people revisiting the site of the Rave Party one year later.
Not one mention of the Apache Helicopters that unloaded their munitions on the fleeing Rave Party attendees
and then returned to base to reload time and time again.
“Helicopters, what helicopters?”

Posted by: librul | Dec 3 2024 20:37 utc | 212

Netanyahu continues to successfully block a national inquiry into October 7th.
An unofficial civilian inquiry has formed. Good luck with that, folks.
Was reading about the inquiry and culled a couple of interesting facts.
I didn’t know…
We have all heard that the IDF Spotters, the Gaza border watchers, who were stationed
right up close to the Gaza wall were unarmed. Yes, I agree, that is a highly suspicious circumstance, but I hadn’t
known that they ever had rifles. They did have rifles. They were taken away from the Spotters
right around the time Ziohazard captured Hamas’ detailed plan for their jail break. Roughly the same time frame.
From Haaretz:
https://archive.ph/KSqEb

No rifles
One of the main problems that day is that the spotters weren’t armed, even though they were so near Gaza. “She had no chance to defend herself,” says a father who lost his daughter at Nahal Oz. “The moment they were inside the mobile shelter, they realized that they were panicking and helpless, that they didn’t know what to do.”
According to some of the people who spoke with the researchers,
the spotters had asked to be given back the rifles that had been taken from them a year earlier
– for fear that they would be stolen. The request was denied.

Source after source has conveyed the impression that the Spotters were totally ignored. The intelligence they
gathered went no where.
In this same Haaretz article you learn something different.

…
Many spotters said something similar, but others tried to correct the impression that the spotters were completely unseen. According to a spotter from Kissufim, “There were a lot of events that I passed along, and a few days later the brigade commander came around to ask me about that specifically, as if they were interested in that.”
Using a metaphor, a female officer told the researchers: “It’s not that they didn’t listen to the spotters. They listened, did an analysis and sent all the trees up to the top. And somebody up there didn’t see the forest.”

Posted by: librul | Dec 3 2024 20:57 utc | 214

https://x.com/orikron/status/1863793249992773910
Dott. Orikron 🇵🇹 @orikron
There are 1000 games where you play an American soldier killing Arabs but one game about killing actual invaders and colonizers can’t be allowed.
Show this to people that think liberal democracies have no censorship.
https://x.com/pcgamer/status/1863634819155993003
PC Gamer @pcgamer
Valve removes pro-Palestinian shooter from Steam after complaint from UK Counter-Terrorism police, dev says ‘we see clearly the double standards’

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 3 2024 21:17 utc | 216

Canadian Parliament Occupation (from above)
https://worldbeyondwar.org/

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 3 2024 22:08 utc | 218

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 3 2024 19:28 utc | 208
Thanks for long and interesting reply/explanation.
If you’re interested in a good read, I’d recommend Lao She’s greatest novel, ‘Four Generations under One Roof,’ based on his wife and family’s terrifying experience of living under Japanese rule in Beijing. Lao She was in Wuhan and later Chungking organizing the Chinese Government’s propaganda campaign. (The Nationalists were in alliance with the Communists at that time).
After the Japanese War and the outbreak of the Civil War he didn’t want himself and his family involved in war any longer and took them to the US. And wrote his greatest novel ‘Four Generations’ – known as ‘Yellow Storm’ in English. Because he wasn’t a communist (he was a socialist) the Americans loved it. Hollywood films were promised. But then the civil war ended and Lao She thought it his patriotic duty to return home and work for the revolution. He became a non-person overnight in the US.
His work – mainly plays – were lauded in the 50’s but fell out of fashion. He was murdered by the Red Guards in ’66.
He is now considered by his countryman to be China’s greatest modern writer.
He was a funny, modest, gentle man.

Posted by: johnf | Dec 3 2024 22:22 utc | 220

Ma Laoshi
Thanks. Good advice.

Posted by: Giyane | Dec 3 2024 23:11 utc | 222

Valve removes pro-Palestinian shooter from Steam after complaint from UK Counter-Terrorism police, dev says ‘we see clearly the double standards’
Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 3 2024 21:17 utc | 216
I suppose this means we can rule out the following title I’ve been eagerly awaiting for years:
“Grand Theft Auto – Tel Aviv Edition”
Play a Palestinian in a high speed car chase running over Israeli occupiers while under Hezbollah rocket bombardment.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Dec 3 2024 23:37 utc | 224

I generally write IDF everything lately regarding ICC, their organization, mandate and latest arrest warrant of Nutty & Gallant, however, this public statement from the spokesperson of the court is reflecting a severe backlash against USReal.
Could be play acting, but seemed genuine anger and fed up with the West. Stressed multiple times regarding threats from “a member of the security council” and the treatment of ICC members.
It’s all some weird poetic justice…
Anyways, worth a listen.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kJj18WU3b3U
ICC President BLASTS the West for Threats and Sanctions Undermining the Court’s Integrity!
650 views · 3 hours ago…more
The Africa News Network
563K

Posted by: Trubind1 | Dec 4 2024 0:32 utc | 226

So we had this Isis HTS Offensive start and I have been completely baffled why, after the ceasefire, Israel didn’t storm across the Syrian border with three divisions.
Greg stoker at mint Press News has an interesting opinion. He believes that Israel is more afraid of Isis than it is of Assad. So it wants Assad (Syria) under attack and weak but not completely defeated. In particular it doesn’t want Isis on its own (new) border.
https://youtu.be/na8aAQ0G4go?si=Lg7apucPFCJ-_itV

Posted by: David G Horsman | Dec 4 2024 2:37 utc | 228

https://x.com/ejmalrai/status/1864001313018720429
Elijah J. Magnier 🇪🇺 @ejmalrai
Private and exclusive: A large number of #Syrian allies forces have established a strong base and line of defence in Homs, leaving #Hama under the control of the Syrian army.
good overviews, especially in the first one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGkFysGAmak
Elijah Magnier | Israel & NATO Move Complex Global War To Syria After Crippling Hezbollah
Jamarl Thomas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRtZ0NhM3TY
Pro-Assad vs. Pro-Opposition: Untangling The Syrian War & Discussing The Solutions | Live +
Mahmood OD | محمود عود
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcQ7rYMiDzI
Putin Sends Wagner to Syria, Russia Iran Agree Turkey Talks; BBC: Ukraine Troops Kursk Despair
Alexander Mercouris

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 4 2024 3:16 utc | 230

A note on Daesh. Obama created Islamic State for the sole purpose of intimidating Northern Iraq, Kurdistan , into surrendering control of its oil from Mosul. The Daesh violence was so obscene that Kurdistan capitulated to USUKIS pressure.
There’s zero Islam in Islamic State. There is ZERO Islam in any Islamic group that even employs secret spying in people’s houses in order to gaslight those Muslims who oppose Fascist and Nazi USUKIS policies.
There isn’t one law in Islam for the organisers of a religion and another law for the ordinary Muslims. Wecare not allowed to spy on eachother, gossip against eachother and betray eachother.
Anybody , like Daesh , who impose their will on the community by force, to serve the interests of the enemies of Islam, USUKIS, have either left Islam.or have never entered into it.
Chopping heads of innocents is what the Jewish Law planned by Israel to dominate the world looks like. Did Jesus AS not rail against the Rabbis stealing from the widows instead of giving them charity? Jesus AS was a Palestinian who stood against the injustices of Talmudic, apartheid Zionism.
There is No such thing as a Christian Zionist. To follow Christ AS is to detest Zionism. The Jews have succeeded in brainwashing both Christians and Muslims into pure Talmudic Zionism.
Biden Trump Starmer etc are Talmudic Zionists, racists and madmen or women.
The person who despises a believer in God enough to spy on them , let alone imprison them, or kill them , is not a Muslim, a Christian or a Jew. There’s no difference between a spy and a genocider except in the degree of their disbelief in God and His messengers.
Daesh viokence is just an extreme form of backbiting other Muslims.

Posted by: Giyane | Dec 4 2024 6:43 utc | 232

There’s talk of the SDF capturing villages from Assad. So, Erdogan shoots himself in the foot by unleashing head choppers but could end up with defacto Kurdistan on his borders. This looks like a “duh’ moment. I tend to think it offers some hope for Syrian people, apart from just supporting Assad.

Posted by: Eighthman | Dec 4 2024 12:38 utc | 234

235 – I am pretty sure the Israelis have said they prefer ISIS to Assad, and I suspect ISIS and suchlike are largely US or Zionist creations anyway, directly or indirectly. Using the Saudis or Gulf states as cut-outs.
It is a curious fact that ISIS have rarely if ever attacked Israel, apparently preferring Zionist Jews to Muslims they consider errant or heretical. Or maybe they just do not sh^t where they eat, in a manner of speaking…

Posted by: Waldorf | Dec 4 2024 13:13 utc | 236

233 – Some of the people imprisoned in German concentration camps might have been imprisoned anywhere. For example some in the “habitual criminal” category, who wore green triangles, though these categorisations by the Nazis were often arbitrary.
Until homosexuality was decriminalised, people imprisoned for homosexuality under the Third Reich (pink triangles) didn’t start publishing memoirs – because they potentially faced criminal consequences even after the fall of Nazi Germany. Reich was not as unique as he seems to have thought.

Posted by: Waldorf | Dec 4 2024 13:30 utc | 238

Kevin freaking Spacey in Palestine. What can you say?

Somehow Spacey managed to find someone who can still tarnish HIM by association, not the other way round. Touring a concentration camp with an Oswald Mosley wannabe

https://www.middleeasteye.net/trending/actor-kevin-spaceys-visit-israel-triggers-backlash-being-bad-taste

Posted by: Aleph_Null | Dec 4 2024 14:07 utc | 240

@Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 4 2024 14:22 utc | 241
“Your religion supports Genocide?!”
“Then that tells one all they need to know about your religion.”

Posted by: librul | Dec 4 2024 14:52 utc | 242

Ed4
“The Israeli / Syrian border has been quiet for decades” If by quiet, you mean Israel stole the Golan Heights from Syria, then yes.

Posted by: schmoe | Dec 4 2024 15:33 utc | 244

Aleppo may be a good use case for a tactical nuke or EMP bomb. It’s not in a good place geographically for the SAA to defend. And the EMP angle would take out all the drone warfare element, leaving any Jihadi/HTS survivors basically with only small weapons to fight with.

Posted by: Ghost of Zanon | Dec 4 2024 15:48 utc | 246

DH: Pepe Escobar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiUs1INDaaU
“An in-depth conversation on the latest developments in Syria and the potential to escalate into a broader conflict…”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 4 2024 18:57 utc | 248

I doubt every much that the construction of such a military base will get very far
https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/1864275394540761187
The Cradle @TheCradleMedia
Middle East Monitor reports that on 17 October, Israel discreetly approached Somaliland, which is situated across the Gulf of Aden from the Yemeni city of Aden, with the proposal of setting up a military base in Somaliland in order to target and attack the Yemeni Armed Forces.
According to the report, the United Arab Emirates is mediating between the two countries. Not only has the UAE convinced Somaliland to allow for the construction of the military base, but will also finance it.
In recent years, Somaliland has allowed the UAE to use the port of Berbera and its airport as a base for military activity in Yemen, in return for large sums of financial investment.
Somaliland, a territory in northern Somalia that claimed secession, is only recognized by Taiwan. International law currently considers Somaliland an autonomous district within Somalia.

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 4 2024 19:27 utc | 250

This is excellent:
CrossTalk: The Syria Front
https://www.rt.com/shows/crosstalk/608605-syria-front-war-reignited/
“Clearly this is a case of unfinished business. The dirty international proxy war against Syria has been reignited. In this edition of the program we we examine why this is happening, the actors involved, and who benefits.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 4 2024 20:05 utc | 252

Suppressed News.
@SuppressedNws
⚡️BREAKING:
Israeli occupation forces have targeted Dr. Husam Abu Safiya, the director of Kamal Adwan Hospital in northern Gaza. According to reports, the latest drone strike hit the oxygen supply station.
He vows not to leave the North and to continue providing medical care.
Follow source: @translatingpal
https://x.com/SuppressedNws/status/1860464147739107594

Posted by: Menz | Dec 4 2024 20:42 utc | 254

Sam Husseini
@samhusseini
Can we rethink the term “Rebels” here? Makes them sound like they are fighting against an Empire rather than alongside one.
Quote
Joshua Landis
@joshua_landis
·
Dec 4
The United States has entered the Syrian war on the side of the Rebels and Turkey, using A10s to straif Iraqi militia reinforcements being sent to back up the Government’s Syrian Army.
America’s Kurdish led allies – YPG/SDF — have taken a hunk of territory near Deir ez-Zor from x.com/MyLordBebo/sta…
Show more
https://x.com/samhusseini/status/1864080352588841039

Posted by: Menz | Dec 4 2024 20:46 utc | 256

Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur oPt
@FranceskAlbs
The monstrosity of our time.
We know and pretend not to know.
We give it other names, we make up excuses.
Israel is erasing Palestinians from Palestine – starving, torturing to death, pulverising homes, schools, churches, trees, human bodies, burning them in tents – and we call is “self-defense”.
Israel’s self-defense is the defense of ideological hatred turned political doctrine. And genocide.
Quote
Yanis Varoufakis
@yanisvaroufakis
·
Dec 2
Israel bans the importation into Gaza of anaesthetics. Hence, the scores of children who are amputated daily, following Israel’s bombings, are put to the knife without anaesthesia – if they are lucky to be taken to a functioning medical facility and not be bombed when in it.
https://x.com/FranceskAlbs/status/1864246608147124265

Posted by: Menz | Dec 4 2024 20:50 utc | 258

Google ads linking UNRWA with Hamas appear on Australian news websites as part of a global campaign

@ Menz | Dec 4 2024 20:45 utc | 255
Menz, I have seen these ads when I go to Yahoo News – here in the US. Once they are there, they continue to pop up again and again as you scroll down the page.
I imagine these are showing up worldwide on various sites.

Posted by: teri | Dec 4 2024 20:56 utc | 260

@ John Gilberts | Dec 4 2024 18:57 utc | 248 with the DH: Pepe Escobar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiUs1INDaaU
Thanks
Pepe is now using the term Omni war to describe the umbrella of conflicts in West Asia.
I refer to our more global umbrella of conflicts as our civilization war….which includes China’s as well as others conflicts with empire. I agree with Pepe and Danny that China needs to join the fray in a more demonstrative way SOON!

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 4 2024 21:34 utc | 262

@Menz #253
‘“Israel is testing weapons on us that we do not recognize. They drop bombs with terrifying sounds, and when a person gets within 200-300 meters of them, they vaporize.’
I’ve yet to see any explanation for these reports or the type of weapon …. noting that Gaza is a lab for genocide …

Posted by: Don Firineach | Dec 4 2024 22:02 utc | 264

The teachers who attempted to teach me Chinese gave me as my family name “Ma” because that was the closest they could get to the “Mc” which begins my surname.

Posted by: Lysias | Dec 4 2024 22:24 utc | 266

The last time Daesh got armed and funded they went on a captagon fueled genocide rape and slavery spree on the tribes eeking out a existence in north Iraq.Where the money come from for the new caliphate? This isnt Hollywood. There is not cash lieing on the ground in north Iraq.
Us trained Iraq army ran away ala Afghanistan.
I took a certain amount of consolation in the fact that US special forces Iraq military, Kurds and the Shia militias put their differences aside to stop the genocide slavery and rape. This represented justice that was understood across all culture.
.
Arming and funding daesh was bizarre. But everyone learned their lesson right? Everyone being US and Saudi.
Now less than a decade later your going to equip and train these groups with FPV drones and EW? They havnt lost their weapon technology privileges? You think you can control their behavior and the proliferation of the technology you are providing and training them with? The proliferation will always represent your interests? Your resource expenditure will represent the ethics and morals by which nations respect you?
Genocide is not Ok. I dont know which is worse daesh or Israel. You should know better Israel. You started as a place to have family to be safe secure and accepted. Now… Being safe secure and accepted is understood by everyone. It happens by providing it to everyone.
The world stood when daesh went on their genocide spree. Im not equivocating Israel with daesh but what is happening in Gaza is just as bad. The world will stand. Not out of hate for Judaism but from rejection of the horror of genocide. Exceptionalism has no place in the world when it implements genocide. How could you not understand that Israel? How could you want to live in a world where you get away with genocide?
It eats away at humans. It eats their souls. Their exceptionalism is not a refuge it is not a shelter. They try to take shelter in exceptionalism but its pretend and they try to hide that with glee. Glee is like a match on gasoline. It doesnt last. Why would you choose this fate Israel? The Israelis I have known would not choose this fate.
Even as horrible and depraved as current events are we can learn. Exceptionalism and extremism is a bad habit that is not confined to any one race or religion. In fact my belief is that no race or religion should have more value than condemning genocidal behavior. We can understand that there is exceptionalism in ourselves and must be aware. Exceptionalism denigrates the race or religion that practices it. It is the ultimate disrespect to the race or religon that engages in it. why would you disrespect your race religon culture and traditions by participating in genocide? It is the absaloute opposite of honoring those things. It is the genocidal behavior not the race or religion that is to be condemned and with the understanding that exceptionalism creates the possibility of genocide and injustice it is to be avoided. Cherishing tradition and heritage is a good thing and it is cultivated by cherishing all cultures and traditions with the understanding that extremism is contrary and humbleness a virtue. If we can not cultivate humbleness at least we can control our behavior and shun genocide. This is in our hands regardless of the society we live in. We do have the choice to reject participation in genocide.
Its soul crushing to see daesh armed again. Its soul crushing to see gaza genocide continue and accelerate. At least when my time comes I will know I did not participate in the evilness growing in the world.
If Palestinians ever come to my country I will offer them shelter. I will offer them whatever I have. I would do the exact same for Israelis if the situation was reversed. Perhaps I will be condemned for that. I dont care. By not participating in genocide my spirit is healthy even if disturbed. By offering what I have some small measure of justice is created. I hold hope for that opportunity. Victims deserve a refuge where they can let all hate fall away and the understanding that they are valued in the world. Victims deserve a measure of grace. The crime being perpetrated against the palestinians is of the most severe nature possible. It is by allowing victims grace that some small measure of justice is achieved. This is how I view success. Letting the hate fall away like dust settles in the rain. This is cultivated by choice.

Posted by: Fred | Dec 4 2024 22:34 utc | 268

So far I have not seen mention of comedy as a weapon against Zionism and against the genocide in Gaza. But Werleman is quite effective – look him up
https://www.youtube.com/@TheCJWerlemanShow

Posted by: fanto | Dec 4 2024 22:51 utc | 270

@Giyane | Dec 4 2024 6:43 utc | 232
>>Daesh viokence is just an extreme form of backbiting other Muslims.
If in your own life you practice Islam focusing on mercy, contemplation, and values which I’d simply call humanistic, then good for you. I know many Muslims like that. But I have to push back here a bit. Daesh types pray to Allah and quote the Quran (very selectively). Trace the spiritual lineage of many jihadi leaders back, and the source may be in Cairo or more often Mecca. Let’s face it, they are Muslims; when you wrote “other Muslims” in the quote above, it seems in fact you agree. Yes, of course, militant Islam is being used by the Imperialist powers for centuries already, which in our own time will be unavoidably tied to Zionism. But without a reservoir of ideological fervor, a “maybe we can speed things along by the sword”, the MI6 types would be laughed out of town.
What I mean is we need sane, humane Muslims like yourself (I’m just going to take your word here); and we need a bit more from them than denial. Sometimes, there is a problem; a lot of dubious things get preached in a lot of mosques.
Just the other day, someone mentioned “Jews against Genocide” in Canada. Let them do their thing. But were they to claim “Judaism is all roses; Bibi and Smotrich must be secret Muslims–or something”, would we buy it? No: I did read Torah and the stories are all there, waiting to be abused by someone who wanted to steal and kill anyway. (For me, political Zionism is the parts of Judaism I don’t like, turbocharged with the genocidal practices of the British Empire–you need both.)
It’s a complex story. Of, say, the jihadists from my own Dutch hometown I know that they were criminals before they decided of themselves that they were devout Muslims. (Like many of the Azov etc Nazis in Ukraine are drawn from prisons and football hooligans; indeed, they still combine business and pleasure as smugglers and thugs-for-hire.) The local mosque in fact warned the cops that a few lost sheep were going off the deep end, and might be considering joining Daesh in Syria. It was the liberal mayor who decided “let them go”–I’ve always suspected on advice from the intel world, but good luck getting accountability in the West. So I hope I’m not unfairly singling out the religion.
—————————-
@Ghost of Zanon | Dec 4 2024 15:48 utc | 246
>>Aleppo may be a good use case for a tactical nuke or EMP bomb.
And here we have our daily barfly who just wants to toss nukes all over the place. “To save Aleppo, we had to destroy it.” Good thing that even in the USA, you can’t just grab them off the Walmart shelves.
—————————-
@Menz | Dec 4 2024 20:46 utc | 256
>>The United States […] using A10s to straif Iraqi militia reinforcements
Are you paying attention Russia? This is what you should’ve done on the bad guys before Aleppo was taken. Dear VVP, I know you consider yourself smart; I’m willing to believe you’ve actually read Sun Tzu, unlike Western leaders who haven’t ever touched a book; I know he says “Subdue your enemy without fighting.” But why do you think he meant it so literally? Did you think that “restraint” in Syria would be reciprocated, by the West denying air defense and anti-ship missiles to Ukraine? Ha ha.
This is no way to contest anything. Those planes have no business flying over other people’s countries; shoot them down or go home.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 4 2024 23:57 utc | 272

Too bad if you’ve heard this before, but Fontaines D.C. were awarded best album award by Rolling Stone; this is their (well his, only one of ’em made it to this salubrious event) acceptance speech .
If that rather short to the point speech interested you this is their latest single taken from their newest album “Romance”, the album for which they won the award.
I found the music pretty good, though I know nothing about ’em other than they come from Ulster and roused feelings of “I hope they’re not another U2”.
Somehow I doubt the bloke who sidled up to the mic at the awards thing would ever rub shoulders with the WTO Davos mob but I spose I could be termed ‘racist’ for even thinking such things. All I know is their spokesman appears to have the right idea about Occupied Palestine.

Posted by: Debsisdead | Dec 5 2024 1:02 utc | 274

@Lysias | Dec 4 2024 22:24 utc | 266
>>The teachers who attempted to teach me Chinese gave me as my family name “Ma”
Then you’ll know enough to be aware that there is not a single character “Ma”. But the name “Ma” tends to be “horse”. I knew it was not one of the most common ones, but only much later I learned that the name has its roots in Chinese muslim communities–which makes sense I think in that West China had both Islam and horses. And only as I write this do I learn that the great Chinese muslim admiral/explorer Zheng He was also born “Ma”, adopting “Zheng” later. (Contrast “What does it mean, ‘Butch’?” “I’m an American, honey; our names don’t mean shit.”)
>>If Russia is now warning the Russians in Israel to get out of Dodge
Someone else with sharp eyes remarked that the relevant Tweet was from early October already. But yeah, there will be ever new, and ever worse, crises as long as Russia is out to lunch (at least in this theater) and allows it.
——————-
@David G Horsman | Dec 4 2024 2:37 utc | 228
>>Greg stoker […] believes that Israel is more afraid of Isis than it is of Assad.
Does one ever really know this of oneself, but I believe I can think like a Zio. Though this may be nothing to boast about, and even if true it may be the Dark Side pulling at me for all I know. 🙂 “Like” or not, “Fear” or not–it’s all irrelevant: can we use it? If ISIS or some such overruns Syria, then that’s your excuse to intervene. The more people have died up to that point, the easier to claim that Syria too is “A land without a people.” Formal coordination isn’t even needed, the entire West is conditioned to take its narrative cues from Zion.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 5 2024 1:21 utc | 276

@johnf | Dec 4 2024 22:49 utc | 269
>>the early Chinese […] got their iron making skills from the barbarian steppe tribes who got it off the Middle East.
AFAIK, China scholarship has progressed objectively. Not by re-reinterpreting Confucius, of which The Dude would have said “Well, that’s like, just your opinion man.” But by archeology uncovering really new facts. This picture/stereotype that the Chinese were just doing their own thing for millennia got seriously adjusted. Through the Silk Road and other channels they’ve always been in touch with the outside world, and knowledge flowed both ways.
>>the seminal early battle of World War Two – Taierzhuang
That’s the one! I’ve been there. Though that was just a weekend trip by the Foreign Staff Club, nothing scholarly or some such. You say that Zhukov witnessed the festivities in person? That’s new for me; though unfortunately, sometimes I learn-forget-learn nowadays. 🙁 The early Communists were also much more pragmatic than we tend to remember the Maoists: they did the literacy campaign, land reforms (much of it by slaughtering the feudal lords–but it worked); aided by this new thing called radio, they instated Putonghua as the national dialect, and much more. But, and this may be rare in politics, seems these satisfied Mao less than his followers; for him, permanent revolution had become a goal in itself.
Some echos in our time maybe with the Taliban. As long as there were Americans to be chased out, they needed to co-opt allies (“we’re not that Taliban any more”), and their Dubai-based people were exposed to some version of modernity. But with that done, they had time on their hands for their internal squabbles, and most of their promises for at least a modicum of pragmatism went out the window.
Anyway, which so much history being dumped on us every day now, who has the time to read up on ancient history…

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 5 2024 2:02 utc | 278

Hamas threatens to ‘neutralize’ hostages if Israel launches rescue operation
By Reuters
December 5, 20243:33 AM GMT+11Updated 10 hours ago
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/hamas-threatens-neutralize-hostages-if-israel-launches-rescue-hamas-internal-2024-12-04/

Posted by: Menz | Dec 5 2024 3:14 utc | 280

Heidi Matthews
@Heidi__Matthews
Israel is forcibly expelling thousands of Palestinians from Beit Lahiya today. The systematic expulsion from homes can be a genocidal act when it creates conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of a protected group in whole or in part.
https://x.com/Heidi__Matthews/status/1864445684398621099

Posted by: Menz | Dec 5 2024 3:18 utc | 282

Thanks Menz for your updates.
I am pretty confused by what the various factions etc are doing and not doing in the ME. It seems very complex, way more complex than just “Axis of Resistance” vs “Evil Empire”.

Posted by: naBisco | Dec 5 2024 4:57 utc | 284

@ naBisco who wants some depth on the ME
go watch all 123 minutes of this Pepe Escobar interview and you will be educated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiUs1INDaaU

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 5 2024 5:30 utc | 286

Lysias 267
Jews around the world have found their core religious belief isn’t Ukrainian, drunk on power, Nazism, like Net’s dad’s.
Russia’s Jewry are also stating for the first time that Net’s Nazi vision is a catastrophic war crime putting Israel on the wrong side of History.
The feeling of revulsion by the majority of the world’s Jewry may mean that Netanyahu and all his fellow Bazis will be eliminated internally to Israel. Lots of people are going to get killed , like 1789 French Revolution, because nobody has dared speak against the ethnic cleansers up to now. Thousands could be killed for complicity with the genocide.
So long as Israel’s got nukes, nobody’s going attack Israel for fear of retaliation. What can the Nazis do about internal rebellion, Nuke themselves?

Posted by: Giyane | Dec 5 2024 6:08 utc | 288

Genocide as the Primary Cause of the Democrats Crushing Defeat
https://www.blackagendareport.com/genocide-principal-cause-democrats-crushing-defeat
“Still uncertain about genocide being the leading cause of the Democrat disaster?”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 5 2024 6:11 utc | 290

israel delenda est
https://x.com/s_m_marandi/status/1864490935553610128
Seyed Mohammad Marandi @s_m_marandi
In the past few hours, Netanyahu has been intensifying the genocide in Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Netanyahu-Erdogan alliance is struggling to destroy Axis of Resistance members to the north of Palestine through their Al-Qaeda and ISIS proxies.
https://x.com/gazanotice/status/1864426097816871078
Gaza Notifications @gazanotice
🚨 The Israeli army bombed homes with families inside in the Al-Nafaq area, north of Gaza. Civil Defense teams have so far recovered the bodies of 10 Palestinians, including women and children, while a young girl was rescued alive from the rubble.
https://x.com/caitoz/status/1864263851799466051
Caitlin Johnstone @caitoz
The “left” is divided on Syria only in the same way it’s divided on Ukraine and other conflicts: Marxists, dedicated peace activists and opponents of the western empire on one side; shitlibs, NATO simps and anarkiddies on the other.
The high level of leftish unity we’ve been seeing between those two groups on Gaza this past year is the exception, not the norm. You see this split pop up on issue after issue, and it basically boils down to a divide between those who recognize the US-centralized empire as the world’s most murderous and tyrannical power structure vs those who swallow western propaganda spin to some extent.

Posted by: michaelj72 | Dec 5 2024 6:28 utc | 292

Posted by: psychohistorian | Dec 5 2024 5:30 utc | 286
Thanks for the link psycho h. I find Pepe is often too much of a rah-rah emotional cheerleader and a lot of his stuff isn’t really reality based, but more wishful thinking. I listened to Max Blumenthal today on Judge, and he explained so much with great clarity, but it is still confusing.

Posted by: naBisco | Dec 5 2024 6:35 utc | 294

Genocide as the Primary Cause of the Democrats’ Crushing Defeat
https://www.blackagendareport.com/genocide-principal-cause-democrats-crushing-defeat
“…Still uncertain about genocide being the leading cause of the Democrat disaster?”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Dec 5 2024 7:14 utc | 296

@Suresh | Dec 5 2024 6:46 utc | 295
>>Apparently there’s an information ban on Russian commentators and bloggers about the fact that Russian forces
>>in Syria are prohibited from engaging US, Turkish or IOF assets.
Three cheers that there’s no information ban on us–not yet at least. If we call out HTS types for never touching the forces which are the real problem, we can and should call out Moscow too. Let’s just, if we do nothing else, defend our words: lots of evidence that Russia is bombing the crap out of Turkish assets–just not Turkish forces. Now power matters and these two have a completely different set of consequences, so thinking first may be a good thing. But absent some kind of decisive pressure on Turkey, at the best we’ll go back to the situation of a month ago–after another year of fighting. 🙁
>>This could be a carry over from President Putin’s reluctance in using force over diplomacy and the peace accords.
I hate being language-policed myself, but words matter. Yes the Astana process was diplomacy, but the “peace” was an illusion deliberately peddled by the Kremlin. As soon as the jihadists had licked their wounds in Idlib, they started re-arming, consolidating, and taking potshots at the Syrian state–oh and at Russian monitoring patrols as well, word of which mysteriously never reached Moscow. Been like that for five years. These days, the Russian “Reconciliation Center” in Syria mostly reports how many goons they’ve sent to Allah; so at least someone there got the proper idea how to “reconcile” with al-Qaeda types.
Grizzled and scarred veteran here of many a keyboard battle. So many times I was assured that the Long Game(TM) was the restrained and smart game; that Putin could see beyond the horizon of us mortals–a bit like Isaac Newton, except that Vlad also has a judo black belt. Russia pushed Idlibstan through over Syrian reservations. Well, now they got the Long Game they wanted; so deal with it like a man, instead of pointing fingers and whining “Where is China?” If true, very in-character for the Kremlin to start “solving” their problem with a gag order.
>>However, hard lessons have been learned since
Have they? By whom? Where’s the evidence for that?
——————–
@Autumn | Dec 5 2024 6:16 utc | 291
>>Poor guy was struck by a white phosphorus pellet.
Frankly speaking I don’t even want to think about this; but now that I hear it, this is the obvious correct answer. The Zios have always liked themselves some Willie Pete. In the Israeli film “Lebanon”, the act and the dissembling about it is admitted and reflected upon.
——————–
@Menz | Dec 5 2024 3:19 utc | 283
>>Further reporting on the OCCRP and its dependence on the US
What did anybody think?! This is how the UN works; this is how the OPCW works, this is how Amnesty International works; this is how the Olympic Committee works; this is how Japan works. Might as well admit that the Masters of Discourse are in fact grandmasters.

Posted by: Ma Laoshi | Dec 5 2024 9:42 utc | 298

I’m confused about what is meant by Turkish ” assets “. Is ” assets ” here like some banking ” product ” but in the currency of power. My little gang borrows a 1000 units of hard power from the Bank of Hegemon and this debt becomes ” an asset ” on the Bank of Hegemon accounts until it is paid back?
There’s something obscene about Empires’ enabling Freedom Fighters to fight against other Empires or a conglomerate or cluster of mutually respecting Empires or even against Itself, just to give itself something to do.
To ignore politics is obscene, and to engage in politics is equally obscene.
At least when I go to the mosque, I am squirrelling some reward for achirah/ next life.
I suppose war just for the sake of war and the MIC is no more sinful than using contraception. God gives us reproduction to go forth and multiply while the greedy realise that the only way they’re going to get more is if there’s less of you and me.

Posted by: Giyane | Dec 5 2024 12:06 utc | 300