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145

Biden says US military to airdrop food and supplies into Gaza (www.reuters.com)

submitted 8 months ago by [email protected] to c/politics

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[–] Eldritch 34 points 8 months ago (13 children)

Oh lawdy! Now all those sincere genuine people screeching genocide joe are gonna accuse him of being Hamas.

I respect that there honestly are no really good decisions to be made. From the fucked up situation decades of western interference and complicity have created. So worried about losing that foothold in the region and not being able to fulfill obligations to other allies. That they handle a butcher with kid gloves and undeserved diplomacy. It's nice to see the administration make a decent start of a move finally. After so many self inflicted injuries.

Though we really need to cut Bibi loose. I bet we could find other footholds in the region if we stop actively antagonizing it.

[–] Ensign_Crab 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Oh lawdy! Now all those sincere genuine people screeching genocide joe are gonna accuse him of being Hamas.

The supporters of genocide cannot imagine that anyone actually opposes genocide, so instead they assume that all opposition is astroturfing.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 8 months ago (2 children)

I think they’re talking about people on the right. They’re never sincere.

[–] Eldritch 6 points 8 months ago (9 children)

I'm talking about all the people that disingenuously demean what it means to actually support genocide. Left and right. Including the person you responded to. Don't get me wrong. Biden committed an extremely bone-headed unforced error. That anyone could have told him would blow up in his face. There is nothing he could do to get Bibi to listen.

No one that accuses Biden or any of the other progressives of supporting genocide is being genuine or sincere. They are being drama queens and simply alienating their allies. There's no end of things to criticize Biden for without making things up. And people win no points for it.

[–] masquenox 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

There is nothing he could do to get Bibi to listen.

You mean... apart from cutting Israel off from the massive arms supplies the US has been supplying Israel with since the 70s?

[–] Eldritch 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Which would not have actually stopped. What was going on. This is what I'm talking about overly simplistic unrealistic reasoning and expectations. I agree that he should not have sent them.

Part of the problem is, and I agree we should ditch it. That Israel is our most important military foothold in the region. It's why he feels so obligated to give netanyahu unwarranted diplomacy. And also causing a lot of antagonism in the region.

[–] masquenox 0 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Which would not have actually stopped. What was going on

Yes. It would have stopped it. Israel wouldn't last a week without US support. It's a client state - no different than Saudi Arabia.

That Israel is our most important military foothold in the region.

And since when do you require a "foothold in the region?" Do tell... how has a thousand dead Palestinians, Iraqis or Afghans made your life better this week?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 8 months ago

since when do you require a “foothold in the region?”

Since oil and cars.

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[–] Ensign_Crab -1 points 8 months ago

I am a progressive. I am also vocal in my opposition to genocide.

For this, I have been called a Trumpist, Russian, Chinese, a tankie, a Republican, a shill, a bot, a moron, a child, and a fascist.

As far as I'm concerned, they're talking about everyone who opposes genocide.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

He’s trying to do the bare minimum to bring people back to his side while still allowing the weapons to flow.

[–] gmtom -2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Not sure if sarcasm or not, but PotUS != King of America.

Going hard against Israel isn't a real option for him politically.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Neither is not going hard enough.

You guys have to choose which camp you want and focus on that group and leave everybody else alone

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[–] psycho_driver 19 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Is this so the IDF knows where to set ambushes?

[–] SinningStromgald 9 points 8 months ago (2 children)

The air dropped aid will "scare" the IDF troops who will then open fire on the falling aid packages effectively destroying their contents before they land. Of course any stray shots that happen to kill some grannies or kids is just a big oopsies whoopsie do and completly understandable.

[–] psycho_driver 5 points 8 months ago

Of course any stray shots that happen to kill some grannies or kids is just a big oopsies whoopsie do and completly understandable.

Their bullets are magically enchanted to only work on Hamas, so they had it coming.

[–] Ensign_Crab 3 points 8 months ago

The air dropped aid will "scare" the IDF troops who will then open fire on the falling aid packages effectively destroying their contents before they land.

They could shoot down the planes with weapons we sold them and we would just reward them with more unconditional support.

[–] jordanlund 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Good?

Should have been done months ago... but, good?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

It's good, but we're not good for doing it. We're acting like tyrants - supplying the guns that kill their friends and loved ones with one hand, and supplying the food that keeps them alive with the other. We're playing with their lives, saving or condemning them on a whim. I always felt I'd have done something if I'd been a German during WWII, but here I am doing nothing but posting on social media as if that's any better than "Thoughts and Prayers."

[–] NevermindNoMind 12 points 8 months ago (1 children)

That's the bare minimum, we arm Isreal and veto resolutions against them at the UN giving them license for genocide, and then air drop a pittance of supplies since Biden won't end the indescriminate targeting of civilians or force Israel to let aid in.

Remember, Biden could end this all with a phone call.

As the WHO points out, airdrops will provide far less aid then if Israel just opened up border crossings and let trucks in:

“It’s absolutely not needed in Gaza. The simplest, safest way and most effective way to deliver aid to people is through crossings. Not just Rafah. It should [also] be Kerem Shalom,” he said, referring to the crossing with Israel known in Arabic as Karem Abu Salem.

He added that the UN has been “more than ready” to supply Gaza with the aid it desperately needs but “a lot of our missions got delayed [and] denied [by Israel]”.

Air drops will undoubtedly provide some benefit, but they will be no means substantially ease the suffering in Gaza. This is an optics play, plain and simple, Biden provides the military means and international cover for Israel to create the famine in the first place, then makes a big show of getting some aid (five months into the genoicde) in to Gaza (using the least efficient means) to try to appease his critics.

Hooray I guess. I hereby nominate Biden for the Nobel peace prize.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago

Isn't this you, just yesterday, complaining that Biden was enabling the Israeli/Netanyahu government to stop aid from coming into Gaza "at all":

Just so everyone is clear, the Israeli governments reaction to this massacre is that they now need tostop aid from coming into Gaza at all because this incident proves starving people receiving aide is a danger to the Israeli military.

These are the people Biden is sending millions of dollars in weapons to. These are the people Biden directs the US ambassador to veto a widely supported cease fire resolution to give international cover to. Fuck, these are the people Biden chooses to lock arms with even as he loses 100k votes in Michigan in protest.

Today Biden has directed the US military to personally deliver aid to Gaza, in the most effective way that they can. (The US certainly isn't going to put boots on the ground to deliver aid in extremely hostile and dangerous territory where hostages are being kept potentially anywhere.) They are getting aid to the people of Gaza, while the UN is failing to.

It's possible that the UN could deliver aid more effectively by driving it into Gaza, but (a) it's very likely that they can't, because we've seen aid trucks hijacked by Hamas and aid stolen from innocent civilians and (b) the connections between UNRWA and Hamas have almost completely ruined the trust relationship with Israel. The UN has become severely compromised by their lack of ability to vet the people that work for them, because as the old saying goes "a bad apple can spoil the bunch", and innocent people are suffering because of it. That one isn't on Biden.

To say that Biden could "end this all with a phone call" is pure fiction, whether it's in an op-ed or not--the only two parties who can agree to a ceasefire are Netanyahu's government and Hamas. No US president, real or imaginary, is going to disarm Israel when they are our biggest ally in the region and under constant threat from Hamas, Hezbollah, Syria, Iran and others. No US president, real or imaginary, will call for Israel to unilaterally ceasefire against Hamas as Hamas continues to hold their people hostage and wage their own counterattacks. If a ceasefire should happen, and it should, it'll only happen because both sides of this conflict agree to the terms.

Anyway, I really hope you don't realize that you're moving the goal posts here, because I want to give you the benefit of the doubt... Anything else makes the complaints seem political and not genuinely pragmatic or even idealistic. Set the goalposts somewhere reasonable, and just keep them there.

Nobody is saying that Biden deserves a fuckin' peace prize for this, but he's doing a good thing here (something that just yesterday you seemingly wanted to see too) and he should be given at least due credit for that.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 8 months ago

A good first step. Bring the fist down on Netanyahu and the IDF next, and push for a permanent cease fire.

[–] snausagesinablanket 1 points 8 months ago

Israel will send in snipers.

[–] cheese_greater 0 points 8 months ago

Apple AirDrops tangible goods?

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