Today’s Predominant Political Category Error

If only I could conjure up a sprawling, complex, monied and politically-interconnected system of prophylactic gaslighting in order to protect me from any criticism at all for my own egregious misconduct. I don't have those resources.

I would need a very powerful social and economic system, indeed, to sell "logic" as idiotic as this: Whenever you criticize me for despicable things I actually did, you are criticizing my puppy, the Apple tree in my backyard and my second grade music teacher. That sad state of affair is where we currently are, as Glenn Greenwald describes.

Truly, it would take an immensely powerful political/economic force to sell that level of bullshit on a nationwide basis. It would take the kind of overwhelming power capable purchasing CBS and TikTok, as well as purchasing hundreds of members of Congress through AIPAC. With that kind of power and money and reach, we now see that one could even incentivize (or frighten) a college president to implore to her college students that 2 + 2 = 5.

What we are seeing in these modern times is that sufficient money and power can dispense with the simple logic and clear meaning of this Venn diagram:

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Faux Anti-Semitism

We've already experienced many years of Wokists commonly trying to shut down meaningful conversations by using slurs. Here's a newscaster (the BBC's BBC's Laura Kuenssberg) trying to pull this cheap stunt on Tucker Carlson, who appropriately calls her out. He's absolutely correct. The mere fact that one opposes Netanyahu or opposes the current foreign policy of Israel (as I do) does not make one Anti-Semite or anti-Jewish.

BBC's Laura Kuenssberg: I mean, I am going to point out I probably don't need to, because our audience can see and hear for themselves pretty much everything that you've said in our conversation. Tucker Carlson, you you have put at the door of the Israeli government now to some people, that will be evidence that you are anti semitic. You are anti-Jewish.

Tucker Carlson: Oh, I know. I'm very anti semitic [Laughing]. And well, first of all, the State of Israel does not speak for all Jews at all, despite its claims. It does not. There are many, many Jews, many of whom I know, who don't think the Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu speaks for them.

Laura Kuenssberg: I wasn't suggesting that. [talking over each other]

Tucker Carlson: Of course you were suggesting it. I've been in this business longer than you, and I understand what a slur looks like, and you're attempting to call me an anti Semite in a passive-aggressive way. Some people would say that. Well, I'm responding to your slur and saying that it's untrue. It does not apply to me. Doubtless there are anti Semites who don't like Israel. I'm not an anti Semite. I don't hate Israel. The Israeli government--this is documented, and I saw it personally-- steered the United States into a war that hurts the United States and the world. I'm offended by that. I didn't want it and I'm mad about it. Now I have every right to feel that way. That does not make me an anti-Semite despite your insinuation. And I think it's important that I say that. And by the way, I hope that you run this. I can't control whether or not you air this exchange. I hope that you will. Because I think it's important to push back against slurs like that, because they limit our ability to understand what's actually happening. This is not an attack by Jews on the United States. This is Benjamin Netanyahu moving the United States to do something he thinks will benefit him, but that does not benefit us. It's that simple.

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No Anti-War Option on the Last Presidential Ballot. No Option for Restraining Israel

I wonder why?

And remember that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris eagerly participated in regarding Gaza.

Transcription of Kamala Harris's statement in the video (from her July 25, 2024 remarks after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu):

From when I was a young girl, collecting funds to plant trees for Israel, to my time in the United States Senate and now at the White House, I’ve had an unwavering commitment to the existence of the state of Israel, to its security and to the people of Israel.

And why do so few of our politicians speak out against the US-Israel war against Iran? For that matter, why aren't we hearing the US corporate media excoriating the bi-partisan effort to blow through tax dollars we don't have to engage in war? What is the top priority of most of our politicians? They will tell you in their own words:

AIPAC (= Israeli) control over our politicians (federal and state) is strong

 

Continue ReadingNo Anti-War Option on the Last Presidential Ballot. No Option for Restraining Israel

Jeffrey Sachs: The U.S. is Israel’s Warmongering Puppet

Jeffrey Sachs describes how the war plan told to General Wesley Clark was put into play:

Netanyahu has a different idea. His idea is: We captured the Palestinian lands in 1967 and we're never going to give them back, so we're just going to rule over the Palestinians. He says we're going to keep the land. There will be resistance, Hamas, Hezbollah, other militant resistance. What will we do about it? You can't really fight the terrorists, he says. You have to fight the states that back the terrorists. And Iran is the central one. But interestingly, for Netanyahu, he lays out one by one, yes, of course, Iran is the central one in his mind. But so too is Iraq under Saddam. He supported Hamas. So too is Bashar Al Assad in Syria, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Libya. And you know what the plan was? Seven wars in five years in the US, using Israel? No, no, this is Israel using the US as if our military is is in their hands, which in effect it is. You take Wolfowicz and you take Feith, and you take these Neocons and you take Netanyahu. They game planned the whole thing out. Well, I regard Netanyahu as having been our greatest, disastrous president of the 21st century, because he ran American foreign policy for 20 years, and he cost us trillions of dollars. And where is the Middle East today? War in Syria, war in Lebanon. War in Palestine. Unrest in Iraq. War in Yemen. Chaos in Sudan. Chaos in Somalia. Chaos in Libya. Great job, BiBi, you did a terrific job!

Here's General Wesley Clark describing this same plan:

The full conversation with Wesley Clark.

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Wikileaks: Israel Sabotaged US Negotiations for Release of American Gaza Hostages

This on X, posted by Wikileaks:

“We’re the United States. We’re not an agent of Israel.”

— Adam Boehler

How Israel’s Actions Derailed Trump’s Hostage Return Deal

In December 2024, President Donald Trump appointed Adam Boehler as Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. His mission: bring American hostages home.

Boehler’s immediate goal was the release of American-Israeli hostage Edan Alexander and the return of four others’ remains. With White House approval, he entered direct talks with Hamas in early 2025.

To widespread surprise, those talks showed rapid progress. Hamas offered to release the hostages within weeks, disarm, exit politics, and pursue a full prisoner exchange. “We’re close,” Boehler tweeted.

Israel discovered the negotiations via Unit 8200, its signals intelligence unit, according to journalist Ronen Bergman citing a senior U.S diplomatic source. Prime Minister Netanyahu and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer then launched what Bergman’s source called a “crazy campaign” to sabotage the talks.

News of the negotiations soon leaked to U.S. media and Republican circles. The White House initially backed Boehler. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt affirmed that the President “fully backs and supports Boehler,” who “has the authority to talk to anyone.”

Boehler told reporters: “You could see something like a long-term truce—where we forgive prisoners, where Hamas lays down their arms, where they agree that they’re not part of the political party going forward. I think that’s a reality that’s real close.”

But by March 2025, Israel’s campaign to derail the talks escalated. Boehler became the target of coordinated attacks. One editorial called him Trump’s “complacent, confused, and dangerously naive hostage envoy.”

On March 15, Boehler withdrew as envoy. Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed the initiative, claiming the talks “bore no fruit.”

Three days later, Israel unilaterally ended the ceasefire with massive overnight bombings across Gaza, killing over 400 people. Former Israeli diplomat Alon Pinkas said the strikes had “zero military significance [and] no political end.”

A U.S. intelligence source told Bergman: “It became clear Netanyahu and Dermer are afraid it’ll suddenly be obvious who wants a deal and who doesn’t.”

“It’s a completely fucked up world if the administration has to fight off attempts by Netanyahu, Dermer, and the whole gang,” the official added. “Hard to believe, but we want to do more than the Israeli government to free the hostages.”

Boehler was reassigned to Afghanistan, where two U.S. hostages were freed on March 21 and 29. Meanwhile, the death toll in Gaza surpassed 52,000, and no further prisoner exchanges have taken place since Israel resumed bombing on March 18.

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