this post was submitted on 28 May 2024
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508
WTF Joe... (lemmy.world)
submitted 6 months ago by return2ozma to c/politicalmemes
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[–] samus12345 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (3 children)

Could he stop sending them weapons if he wanted? Obviously he's fine with it, but if he weren't, can the President alone actually stop something like that?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Congress can bypass him if the purchase price is over $100m

[–] samus12345 -3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Even President Sanders wouldn't have been able to stop the US government from being complicit, then. But at least he wouldn't have supported it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Biden tried to delay the last shipment as long as he could.

[–] Ensign_Crab -1 points 6 months ago (1 children)

the bill to force his hand hasn't gone any further than the House of Representatives. Schumer says he's not gonna let it come to the senate floor for a vote. Who is forcing Biden to sell Netanyahu weapons?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

They don't have to pass a bill to do that. Biden can't block sales over a certain amount, which is why he could only delay the most recent one.

[–] Ensign_Crab -2 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Which statute says so? What ties Biden's hands?

[–] Theprogressivist 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

Legally, the U.S. can’t cut Israel off completely. Since 2008, the U.S. has had to weigh all arms sales to Israel and other countries in the region against the requirement that Israel maintains a “qualitative military edge” against all enemies, both state and non-state actors.

The Biden administration in late April decided to pause a shipment of 3,500 “dumb” — aka, unguided — munitions that officials expected Israel to use in Rafah: 1,800 of those were 2,000-pound bombs and 1,700 of those were 500-pound bombs. U.S. officials were particularly concerned about the 2,000-pound bombs and the impact the massive weapon would have in a dense urban setting.

In announcing the pause, Biden for the first time acknowledged that civilians had been killed by these weapons in Gaza.

“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers,” Biden said on CNN, referring to 2,000-pound bomb. “I’ve made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet: They’re not going to get our support, if in fact they go on these population centers.”

The bombs were approved by Congress in 2021. They had been licensed by the administration, manufactured, and ready to be shipped when the order came down to pause the movement.

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/05/15/biden-israel-weapons-policy-00158210

[–] Ensign_Crab -3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

So Biden had a red line that he knew Netanyahu could cross without consequence?

[–] Theprogressivist 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

That wasn't the question, nor was that implied. Nice narrative you're building there.

[–] Ensign_Crab -3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I asked an additional question. I get that you hate those.

[–] Theprogressivist 3 points 6 months ago (1 children)

You asked a loaded question.

[–] Ensign_Crab -4 points 6 months ago (1 children)

I can rephrase it as a statement you can't refute instead of a question you can't answer if you'd like.

[–] Ensign_Crab 2 points 6 months ago

He proactively circumvented congress to sell them weapons when he didn't have to.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago (2 children)

Without American support there would be no Israel. They are a vassal state.

[–] samus12345 5 points 6 months ago (1 children)

A vassal state that has the US by the balls, apparently, since they do whatever the fuck they want.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

You are incredibly naive if you think "my red line is Rafah" is anything more than performance. There is no one being held by the balls; the American government is literally funding the genocide.

[–] samus12345 5 points 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 children)

How is the performance supposed to benefit him? As soon as the "red line" is crossed and nothing happens, it makes him seem weak. Usually when being performative, you say something that has a plausible excuse when it doesn't happen - or something that can't be acted on until you're elected. This was very poorly conceived, then.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 6 months ago

The goal might be to seem weak. His campaign strategists are probably telling him that being weak will net him more democratic voters than not laying down a fake red line and seeming evil.