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190

U.S. signs off on more bombs, warplanes for Israel (www.washingtonpost.com)

submitted 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) by Linkerbaan@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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The Biden administration in recent days quietly authorized the transfer of billions of dollars in bombs and fighter jets to Israel despite Washington’s concerns about an anticipated military offensive in southern Gaza that could threaten the lives of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians.

The new arms packages include more than 1,800 MK84 2,000-pound bombs and 500 MK82 500-pound bombs, according to Pentagon and State Department officials familiar with the matter. The 2,000 pound bombs have been linked to previous mass-casualty events throughout Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. These officials, like some others, spoke to The Washington Post on the condition of anonymity because recent authorizations have not been disclosed publicly.

The 2,000 pound bombs, capable of leveling city blocks and leaving craters in the earth 40 feet across and larger, are almost never used anymore by Western militaries in densely populated locations due to the risk of civilian casualties.

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[–] GrymEdm@lemmy.world 48 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

A 2000lb bomb "can cause high casualty events and can have a lethal fragmentation radius – an area of exposure to injury or death around the target – of up to 365 meters (about 1,198 feet), or the equivalent of 58 soccer fields in area." Israel dropped hundreds in the first month alone. The USA dropped just one ever during all the time they were fighting ISIS.

But Biden and his administration care about limiting civilian casualties. They really mean it - do you folks want another press release? I'm sure we can get more heartfelt looks and earnest words from the White House press rep about serious commitments to ethics and how they're making sure Israel is innocent of wrongdoing.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 13 points 8 months ago

Oh they've done better! You have to give Biden credit! His EO stating we'd investigate to make sure our weapons weren't being misused was satisfied. The State Department has now announced there is no evidence our weapons are being misused because, (checks notes) our best friend wrote us a note saying they aren't misusing the weapons. Obviously cause for breathless and strident declarations that there's no evidence we're supporting genocide!

I really really wish I was joking. The Executive Memorandum asked for a fucking letter to satisfy the Leahy Law.

[–] dutchkimble@lemy.lol 6 points 8 months ago

They sent their thoughts and prayers didn't they? That totally trumps any massive bombs

[–] distantsounds@lemmy.world 33 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Fuck Joe Biden and any apologists. ‘bUt tRuMp iS gOnNa bE wOrSe!!’ Trump is worse, but this shit is happening right now, and being authorized by Joe fucking Biden.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee 9 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Right, but whether or not you vote, one of these two pro-genocide assholes will be president in the end. You not voting does not help the people of Gaza. It does not help anyone but you and you getting to say “well I refuse to vote for him!” And everyone claps you on the back for a job well done. And then if trump wins, those of us in this country will have less time to devote to the situation in Gaza because every goddamn day, we’ll be worried about that, plus whatever trump and his fascist cronies are doing to hold onto power illegally here. And then there will be nothing we can do for Palestine, because we will be fighting our own battles here. And that’s before we even discuss Republican climate policy—which literally none of us will survive four years of.

We don’t like voting for genocide light or genocide heavy. But trump will absolutely be an even worse case scenario for the Palestinian people. And he doesn’t give half a shit about what even “looks” better, so that vindictive prick will go full tilt with Israel. The democrats are facing calls from within their own party and from people who are sickened by what we’re seeing. And that might have an effect—maybe. But your and my anger at what’s happening in Gaza will only serve to spur the republicans/trump into an even crueler tact.

Whether we like it or not, these are the choices we have. And none of us fucking like it. But that doesn’t stop it from being reality. We all see how shitty this is. No one that gives a shit about the people of Gaza are happy about it, but we’re realistic.

Again, your not voting and telling other people not to, does not help the people of Gaza. Keeping trump away from the situation actually has a chance of us seeing the pressure actually change things.

It’s not a pretty situation, it’s so far from ideal that it’s sickening. But we have to be realistic. And I fucking hate having to advocate for this. But it unfortunately makes the most sense.

[–] distantsounds@lemmy.world 11 points 8 months ago

I am only voting local at this point, because presidential is pretty much assumed in my state. Biden officially lost my support at this point and I’ll never vote Trump (rfk jr or any of the other clowns). Between this, climate policy, healthcare, and all the other broken promises…I won’t feel guilty either because I’ve been here before and it’s not the people, but the DNC that’s to blame. They know where the votes are; come get them

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 9 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

Electoral Boycotts are actually kind of what you do when your government goes off the rails. They help build legitimacy for changing the system. Browbeating people to vote just manufactures consent. They're not going to turn around after the election and suddenly start listening to you. They're going to loudly proclaim the percentage of votes they got in relation to people who voted and call it a mandate to continue fucking us.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Election Boycotts are the stupidest thing ever. Those in power fucking LOVE when upset people don't vote. It makes it so much easier to ignore them.

[–] archomrade@midwest.social 3 points 8 months ago

Lmao, yes I've definitely gotten the sense that nobody cares if a group of us is refusing to vote.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Sure. When it's just a couple people. As the numbers grow though it becomes a thing. Once the official party loses legitimacy it opens the door for actual reform.

[–] TheFriar@lemm.ee -1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

They’re not going to turn around after you don’t vote and start listening to you. I can’t say it enough, it’s a terrible situation we’re in. We have no good options. Voting isn’t a good option. But it’s the only option we really have.

I say again, abstaining does not help the people you think aren’t being helped. It only serves your own self interest. There’s a difference between organizing an electoral boycott and just pissing and moaning and saying you’re better for not voting. None of us like that we feel we have to vote for this asshole. But to get to say, “well, I’m gonna not vote because it can’t get any worse!” Maybe that feels true for you, but tell that to trans people fighting for the right to exist, for people living hand to mouth trying to keep their family fed. Are these people thriving under neoliberal fuckface rule? Fuck no. But they’re not actively on the chopping block marked for death.

I’m not going to tout Biden’s accomplishments and tell you he’s doing a great job. Because I don’t think he is. But there is something called harm reduction. I don’t want people addicted to heroin. But I’ll give them clean needles to avoid a worst case scenario. I’ll happily test their drugs or legalize them and give them a safe place and a doctor’s dosing to make sure they don’t die, gulping for air in the fucking gutter while people step over them because the current option is either arrest them or ignore them. Addiction is so goddamn far from ideal that it’s out of sight from way down there. But an addiction where they can be safely guided to manage their disease without all of the added risk is a better case scenario.

When we’re staring down the barrel of a LITERAL GODDAMN FASCIST, I just can’t stomach the idea of holding my head high while I let it happen. Believe me, the younger me would’ve kicked my own ass for this position I take now.but guess what, I didn’t actually know everything back then and I didn’t used to be less self-centered than I am now. Believe me, I still struggle with this, because I’m not 100% there. I’m arguing with myself as much as I’m arguing with anyone else on this topic. I’m an anarchist. But I guess as I’ve gotten older I see more what Chomsky says about it, where I used to think he was just sooo far from “getting it.” Me. Some asshole 25 year old thinking this professor and thinker didn’t get it.

These are not normal times. But allowing countless communities and our last scrap of a chance to avert an even more disastrous climate disaster just pass us by because we didn’t want the guy supporting genocide to get our vote…so the other guy who will more callously and vociferously engage with the genocidal state can take power back…just doesn’t make sense. No matter how you slice it. And it’s hard to get there. Because it puts the sacrificing our own principles on us. Not on the people doing wrong. And that, of course, isn’t the way it should be at all. But they have us over a barrel whether we like it or not.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Nobody is saying they will suddenly listen to us. That's the point. There's no point in participating. Immigrants and minorities are already in danger in red states and the Democrats are busy worrying if removing the filibuster or balancing the supreme court are too extreme. They aren't riding in to save the day. You think the red states are waiting for a Republican president? This isn't a video game and I'm tired of people treating it like one. Biden winning is not some kind of block unless he actually fucking does something. And he's currently trying to enact the toughest measures we've had on immigrants since Operation Wetback. He's not an ally.

Harm reduction is supposed to open the door to a better option later as well. If that better option never comes then you're still just stuck with harm. We don't have a doctor for the country. We have a lesser prison sentence that was sold as harm reduction.

And the Fascists are already here. They are not waiting for your permission. They are not waiting for the permission of any level of government. They are already taking over towns and schools. They've been elected all the way up to governor in some states. They aren't going to sit and do nothing for the mere presence of a democratic president, and that's all Biden offers. A calming presence while women are charged with murder for miscarriages.

And you know what? We've been here before, and we will get out of it again. When we have a liberal/left party worth a damn.

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

We've been here before, and we will get out of it again. When we have a liberal/left party worth a damn.

Before you stands two paths. One goes straight, the other swings WAY off to the right. There is not a third path at this crossroads.

Which path is better if your eventual goal is to move to the left? You can sit down and cry about how neither of the current paths goes left and say that you refuse to decide. But if you do this, a path will be chosen for you.

Maybe it doesn't really matter to you. Maybe you're privileged enough that you can't see a difference in your life between going straight and turning far right. But for me, turning far right could literally lead to my persecution and death. I can not tell you how pissed I will be if that unfolds because of some misguided protest against voting.

[–] archomrade@midwest.social 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That's a terrible analogy, no wonder you don't understand the point.

There are 7 months until election day, and 7 months for Biden to decide if funding Israel's genocide is worth beckoning Trump into the white house. Biden is a shit candidate, and we'll need to deal with the fascists either way, but why should we be committing ourselves to voting for Biden when he needs our votes and he's actively complicit in evil?

In your analogy, does either path have time to change before you are forced to walk down it?

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Of course not because it's not a good faith analogy.

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

Ignore the evidence of your eyes. Pay attention only to the false either/or presented to you.

So gaslighting us. We're not stupid.

And I'm okay with putting my life on the line for my country, it wouldn't be the first time. I'm not going to let them hold me hostage just to watch the GOP do it no matter who gets elected.

[–] juicy -1 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Do all the mental gymnastics you want. A vote for Joe Biden is a vote for genocide. Period.

[–] aniki@lemm.ee 4 points 8 months ago

So is voting for Trump so I dont think any of us are sure what this worthless platitude is supposed to elucidate.

[–] Custodian1623@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

okay then who are you voting for?

[–] juicy 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Cornel West or Jill Stein probably

[–] Custodian1623@lemmy.world 0 points 7 months ago (1 children)

and you're calling other people deluded

[–] juicy 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

My consience will be clean

[–] Custodian1623@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

will it be clean if trump wins after you threw your vote away?

[–] juicy 1 points 7 months ago (1 children)

Throwing my vote away would be voting for someone whose policies I find to be despicably evil.

[–] Custodian1623@lemmy.world 1 points 7 months ago

You have every other day to advocate for what you feel is right, ultimately voting for anyone other than Biden is indisputably contributing to a worse outcome for the Palestinian people. How much does your conscience matter if your actions directly help a fascist win? Get real

[–] I_Has_A_Hat@lemmy.world 0 points 8 months ago

What's a vote for Trump then?

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

Fuck Biden and Fuck Trump. At this point Biden full well knows the Genocide he's in for. He seems to care more about flattening Rafah than "saving American Democracy".

The libs thinking they can shame people into voting for Genocide are the reason Biden thinks he can keep doing this.

[–] Alteon@lemmy.world 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

We're not shaming anyone for voting for genocide. We're shaming you for helping usher in an American Dictatorship, as if you "abstaining from voting" is going to do literally anything but make things worse. But you do you, absolve your consciousness, and when you've lost all your rights and freedoms, you can at least be proud that you didn't vote Biden. Go you! I'm sure a Trump Dictatorship will be fan-fucking-tastic!

Go read up on Project 2025, and then go read up on the early days of Hitler's rise to power, pay attention to the distinct parallels.

Edit: This is what you can expect from our Christian State Dictatorship: https://www.meidastouch.com/news/texas-republicans-call-for-execution-of-women-who-receive-abortions-ivf-in-horrifying-video

[–] wurzelgummidge@lemmy.world 17 points 8 months ago (1 children)

We’re not shaming anyone for voting for genocide. We’re shaming you for helping usher in an American Dictatorship

The choice between Genocide Joe and a fluorescent narcissist gangster, what a great democracy, eh?

[–] Alteon@lemmy.world 18 points 8 months ago (1 children)

100% agree. It fucking sucks. This is why we should be pushing for Ranked Choice Voting. We would be free if this bullshit.

[–] ilmagico@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

This is the solution. The problem is convincing the politicians, which would likely as a consequence be replaced by a third ("independent") party candidate, or face a tough reelection, to make a law causing their own demise

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

There's entire posts just for the purpose of browbeating people who don't want to vote for Joe Biden. You're literally responding to a comment one down from such an argument. And then you continue to do it in your comment.

Stop gaslighting people.

[–] Alteon@lemmy.world -3 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I don't think you understand what gaslighting is. :/

[–] Maggoty@lemmy.world 1 points 8 months ago

No this is gaslighting. Even to the questioning if someone knows what gaslighting is.

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[–] bartolomeo@suppo.fi 18 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Bombs I understand. You need bombs to kill people and Israel has killed tens of thousands so they probably need more bombs to kill tens of thousands more (and of course why would they produce them themselves, or even buy them?). But planes? Did they lose some planes killing all those civilians? Or did a Hamas paraglider take out a couple fighter jets with his scimitar?

And to all the Americans that think they are the constituency of the U.S. government: fuck you.

Biden’s decision to continue the flow of weapons to Israel has been strongly supported by powerful pro-Israel interest groups in Washington, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, which is spending tens of millions of dollars this election cycle to unseat Democrats it views as insufficiently pro-Israel.

[–] bartolomeo@suppo.fi 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

There's another kind of interesting point in this article and in Israel's history in general. It seems like every Israeli accusation is a confession- from mass sexual abuse to needing to defend themselves from invaders to

Israeli officials deny that their military campaign has been indiscriminate and say civilian casualties are the fault of Hamas for embedding its fighters among the population in Gaza.

When the Zionists started taking over Palestine in the early 1900s, they needed the cover and political legitimacy of regular people to disguise and obscure their terrorism, so the mass immigration of Jews to Palestine was a way for Zionists to embed their fighters among the Jewish population in Palestine. Then they could hide behind the shield of anti-semitism while they pursue their goal of expansion and ethnic cleansing.

Zionist leaders, in particular David Ben-Gurion, viewed the acceptance of the plan as a tactical step and a stepping stone to future territorial expansion over all of Palestine.

I really haven't found any accusation that Israel has made against Hamas that they are not themselves guilty of, but I would be happy to learn of some.

Edit: https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-news-01-30-2024-b1ba33c7c0c5c62f85932a20c2a0bc92

[–] PoliticalAgitator@lemmy.world 6 points 8 months ago

They don't need any of it. Israel could kill every single person in Gaza with the weapons it already has on hand.

But arms deals are extremely profitable and neoliberals just can't say no to profits, even when it involves murdering and starving children. So if the genocide needs to continue for the profits to continue, they're 100% on board for the genocide.

They'll just stand behind a podium and look sad about it occasionally, because that's the job of the center-left neoliberals.

[–] nondescripthandle@lemmy.dbzer0.com 15 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

The duopoly is just thrilled that it convinced the majority that voting for genocide is okay so long as there's a scarier genocide on the other side. If you don't seek alternatives when the lesser of two evils becomes the lesser of two genocided you'll never seek an alternative. Id rather lose trying to stop a genocide than win supporting one. Do all your mental gymnastics but the point remains if enough people voted against genocode instead of against trump, then it would necessarily mean a third party would win. If not now, during a literal genocide, you never will, just own that. If the choice was Hitler, Stalin, and a third party candidate would you still tell everyone that third party votes are wasted?

[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.world 11 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Fuck israel

[–] dubyakay@lemmy.ca 5 points 8 months ago

Fuck the US

[–] BreakDecks@lemmy.ml 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I love how I can't read about escalating genocide without paying Jeff Bezos first...

[–] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

Here's an archive link I'll put it under the article as well.

[–] gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works 7 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I think it’s equally valid to focus on the hypocrisy going on right now, and the fact that not just the American public, but the rest of the world’s governments and people are all watching it unfold on a daily basis: the GOP will happily ship unguided bombs to the IDF so they can “hit terrorist strongholds”, but at the same time won’t lift a finger to ship Ukraine some air defense assets and ammunition, or any number of other desperately needed supplies. It’s fucking infuriating.

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[–] autotldr@lemmings.world 3 points 8 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

The development underscores that while rifts have emerged between the United States and Israel over the war’s conduct, the Biden administration views weapons transfers as off-limits when considering how to influence the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Some Democrats, including allies of President Biden, say the U.S. government has a responsibility to withhold weapons in the absence of an Israeli commitment to limit civilian casualties during a planned operation in Rafah, a final Hamas stronghold, and ease restrictions on humanitarian aid into the enclave, which is on the brink of famine.

The Post’s reporting on the new weapons authorizations follows a visit to Washington by Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant this week in which he requested that the Biden administration expedite a range of weaponry.

A massive influx of aid trucks is required to remedy the situation, but U.S. officials say Israel has imposed onerous restrictions on deliveries, which are deeply unpopular inside Netanyahu’s far-right coalition government.

The original article contains 1,367 words, the summary contains 241 words. Saved 82%. I'm a bot and I'm open source!

[–] merthyr1831@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Gotta keep voting for biden tho !!!

[–] palestinian@toast.ooo -2 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Please explain to me at this point how anyone could be worse than biden in this conflict?

Sorry, I am a single issue voter when it comes to genocide.

[–] hermitix_world@lemmy.world 4 points 8 months ago

I'm not one to defend Genocide Joe, but don't think for a minute that someone else (or even Joe himself) couldn't be worse. Our policy could be way worse. I haven't yet decided whether I can stomach voting for Biden in the absence of a meaningful alternative, but I won't pretend that there aren't more hellish roads to tread here.

[–] bartolomeo@suppo.fi 3 points 8 months ago

Check this guy's post history.

[–] hitmyspot@aussie.zone 3 points 8 months ago

Turning attempted elimination into elimination is worse. Trump is on the wrong side on this single issue too.

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