The 12-day air war between Israel and Iran, with a brief cameo bombing by the United States on three of Iran’s nuclear enrichment and weapons sites, appears to be coming to an undramatic end.
"Just because someone screams and uses extreme language doesn’t make what they’re screaming true" --- absolutely accurate
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the extreme language must be toned down - our leaders, journalists, public figures, and all of us - there are too many unstable people out there and the extreme hyperbole does its job of stirring them up all too well.
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just the last month or so: pro-baby clinic bombed. Democrat legislators shot. Elderly people marching peacefully in support of hostages firebombed. Young Jewish couple murdered in cold blood. There are unstable people, adopting whacko views of all stripes.
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We, all of us need to tone down the rhetoric. Our leaders need to call out THEIR OWN SIDES to tone it down and stop with the violence.
I agree. The delta between what it happening here and what we've witnessed in places like Syria or, now, in Afghanistan, is substantial. And we all know that hyperbole and exaggeration can diminish rather than strengthen one's argument. On the other hand, the freedom to speak, promote dialog, prompt response and even correction is how we make progress in these United States. I know you are in no way quashing that; but for us, concepts like selling public land without any real process or reducing medicaid benefits for those most in need make it feel like we are on the way to becoming one of the nations you list.
"However one characterizes Israel in Gaza, it remains a democracy behaving according to the rule of law domestically". It's a genocide. UN and multiple watchdog agencies have said so. They bombed hospitals, killed children, and long before October 7 2023 they were treating Gaza as what has been described as the world's largest open-air prison. You are a genocide apologist, there is no "both-sides" to this.
Excellent perspective, but WHEN exactly should we start to worry about the situation? We have Marines patrolling LA; a potential ICE budget that is larger than the US Marines with a mandate to expel 1 million people; over 50,000 people detained already - most with no warrant, no check on their citizenship, and no criminal record. Concentration camp being opened in FL; DOJ making it a priority to "denaturalize" citizens they don't like. The destruction of USAID will cause 14 million deaths over the next 5 years - so exponentially more than those of Syria, Iran, and Iraq. What is the line? Thank you.
Seriously? You can't even bring yourself to say "what Israel is doing to Gaza is wrong"?
The fact that there are forces that want to obliterate Israel does not excuse Israeli war crimes, but you seem in a hurry to sweep those aside with "well, some people say it's the fault of Hamas." Meanwhile, Israel's brutality toward civilians is hardly going to convince Muslim Arabs to like them any better, but this particular installment feels like it stops just short of saying the Palestinians had it coming.
I have appreciated your newsletter for the historical perspective it sometimes offers, pointing out relevant background or parallels to current events or that I wasn't aware of. But instead of offering a stabilizing perspective, it increasingly feels like patronizing complacency. The dismissive approach to Gaza here is the last straw for me: I am unsubscribing. I will get more value out of spending my time and attention on sources that, while not fear-mongering, propose some kind of productive action in defense of our democracy, rather than constantly saying "it's not as bad as it could be and don't worry, it'll probably be fine."
Show me the last time you proposed a concrete, useful action people could perform to strengthen our democracy against its current turmoil, other than "take a deep breath and stop being hysterical."
There is a large middle ground between hysteria and apathy. You seem content to occupy the part of it that lies apathy-ward, and to say the rest of us are freaking out over nothing.
I believe that no constructive action starts with lack of historical perspective and hysteria. The point of many of my pieces is to highlight various aspects of that. I did say in a few tariffs pieces that opposing those and ending them was an imperative. But my lane is not usually specific calls to action, which by the way really cant be effectively done in a 1000 word commentary. If you want to confront ICE abuses, writing a column isn’t the way. Working w legal aid groups is. So if you feel your time is better spent elsewhere, that’s of course your choice. But specific context and specific reasons why taking a deep breath might be in order is its own imperative, in my view.
Clearly you missed me quoting Ohmert saying Israel is committing war crimes. And my proactive action is that hysteria and hyperbole are the opposite of effective action. And while Hamas may have earned reprisals, nothing I said suggests that the Palestinians in general “had it coming.”
I appreciate your moderate take on most things. But it sounds like you want us to calm down and be OK because we are not as bad as the worst it can be. We can’t wait for it to get that bad.
"Just because someone screams and uses extreme language doesn’t make what they’re screaming true" --- absolutely accurate
.
the extreme language must be toned down - our leaders, journalists, public figures, and all of us - there are too many unstable people out there and the extreme hyperbole does its job of stirring them up all too well.
.
just the last month or so: pro-baby clinic bombed. Democrat legislators shot. Elderly people marching peacefully in support of hostages firebombed. Young Jewish couple murdered in cold blood. There are unstable people, adopting whacko views of all stripes.
.
We, all of us need to tone down the rhetoric. Our leaders need to call out THEIR OWN SIDES to tone it down and stop with the violence.
.
I feel like I'm being abjured to take a side with a fascist religious state but I can't figure out which one. That's my line in the sand.
How about this; all religious states are evil and destructive and all deserve to be annihilated.
The majority of humanity just wants to be left alone to practice whatever prejudices they have.
I'm with whoever is without prejudice.
The problem is, there are no borders that can separate the prejudiced from the non-prejudiced.
Surely regime change is preferable to annihilation in every case.
The US isn’t as bad - for now.
The rapid acceleration of authoritarianism is underway, unchecked.
I agree. The delta between what it happening here and what we've witnessed in places like Syria or, now, in Afghanistan, is substantial. And we all know that hyperbole and exaggeration can diminish rather than strengthen one's argument. On the other hand, the freedom to speak, promote dialog, prompt response and even correction is how we make progress in these United States. I know you are in no way quashing that; but for us, concepts like selling public land without any real process or reducing medicaid benefits for those most in need make it feel like we are on the way to becoming one of the nations you list.
I do think there remains a wide gap between corrupt disposal of public lands and the disintegration of Syria et al…
I wonder if people in the Weimar Republic had a similar perspective?
That is an intriguing question.
"However one characterizes Israel in Gaza, it remains a democracy behaving according to the rule of law domestically". It's a genocide. UN and multiple watchdog agencies have said so. They bombed hospitals, killed children, and long before October 7 2023 they were treating Gaza as what has been described as the world's largest open-air prison. You are a genocide apologist, there is no "both-sides" to this.
“Genocide apologist”. Yes. You got me. That’s exactly what I am and what the piece says.
Excellent perspective, but WHEN exactly should we start to worry about the situation? We have Marines patrolling LA; a potential ICE budget that is larger than the US Marines with a mandate to expel 1 million people; over 50,000 people detained already - most with no warrant, no check on their citizenship, and no criminal record. Concentration camp being opened in FL; DOJ making it a priority to "denaturalize" citizens they don't like. The destruction of USAID will cause 14 million deaths over the next 5 years - so exponentially more than those of Syria, Iran, and Iraq. What is the line? Thank you.
Seriously? You can't even bring yourself to say "what Israel is doing to Gaza is wrong"?
The fact that there are forces that want to obliterate Israel does not excuse Israeli war crimes, but you seem in a hurry to sweep those aside with "well, some people say it's the fault of Hamas." Meanwhile, Israel's brutality toward civilians is hardly going to convince Muslim Arabs to like them any better, but this particular installment feels like it stops just short of saying the Palestinians had it coming.
I have appreciated your newsletter for the historical perspective it sometimes offers, pointing out relevant background or parallels to current events or that I wasn't aware of. But instead of offering a stabilizing perspective, it increasingly feels like patronizing complacency. The dismissive approach to Gaza here is the last straw for me: I am unsubscribing. I will get more value out of spending my time and attention on sources that, while not fear-mongering, propose some kind of productive action in defense of our democracy, rather than constantly saying "it's not as bad as it could be and don't worry, it'll probably be fine."
Show me the last time you proposed a concrete, useful action people could perform to strengthen our democracy against its current turmoil, other than "take a deep breath and stop being hysterical."
There is a large middle ground between hysteria and apathy. You seem content to occupy the part of it that lies apathy-ward, and to say the rest of us are freaking out over nothing.
I believe that no constructive action starts with lack of historical perspective and hysteria. The point of many of my pieces is to highlight various aspects of that. I did say in a few tariffs pieces that opposing those and ending them was an imperative. But my lane is not usually specific calls to action, which by the way really cant be effectively done in a 1000 word commentary. If you want to confront ICE abuses, writing a column isn’t the way. Working w legal aid groups is. So if you feel your time is better spent elsewhere, that’s of course your choice. But specific context and specific reasons why taking a deep breath might be in order is its own imperative, in my view.
Clearly you missed me quoting Ohmert saying Israel is committing war crimes. And my proactive action is that hysteria and hyperbole are the opposite of effective action. And while Hamas may have earned reprisals, nothing I said suggests that the Palestinians in general “had it coming.”
I appreciate your moderate take on most things. But it sounds like you want us to calm down and be OK because we are not as bad as the worst it can be. We can’t wait for it to get that bad.
What does “can’t wait” mean in terms of action?