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MC Fresh Breath

Certifiably Surly
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Posts posted by MC Fresh Breath

  1. On 11/8/2023 at 2:04 PM, mchookem said:

    personal rant, feel free to skip...so i feel like the gen z person in my life is close to off-the-rails on this topic and i'm really worried she's going to end up arrested and/or expelled in the middle of her senior year of college for crossing a line in her efforts to protest. she is beyond passionate at this point 😒

    her enthusiasm is right in line with her Type A/ocd/eating disorder mental issues... she grabs hold of something and gives it 1000% and just won't let go. she's also a leader so she's actually organizing some shit this weekend...i don't even want to really know details but ngl... i'm worried how it might turn out. i actually admire her passion and commitment, and i don't think she's even wrong (i share many of her sentiments)... but not if she ends up sabotaging her future. 

    a sample - 'i can't sit back and lavish in my cushy american privilege and future while innocent men women and children are bombed and their history erased! that's horrifying and i can and will sacrifice so that they can have a chance. those kids deserve to grow up as much as i do!'

    she and her mother haven't been speaking for a while (nothing to do with this, mostly her moms alcohol/histrionics) and her dad is a wet-brained moronic maga-type (i mean thank god she doesn't actually drink, amirite)... i'm literally the only one she talks to. luckily we are super close, and she does listen to me, i spent the morning counseling her on how her skills and resources could be put to good use in this effort in productive ways versus... whatever she's got planned. but this is a topic she's honestly probably more informed on than i am so i'm not sure what to say or how. i have to freakin google half the shit she talks about so i can at least try to discuss it... but of course some of it is just horrible and i don't know what to say. i read this and the other thread to try and stay informed of developments. but i stg if i have to fly to Texas to bail her out i'm gonna lose my shit 😳 any words of advice??

    tl/dr my niece is damn near radicalized and may blow something up this weekend, what should i tell her to get her to not? lol (kidding. sort of. 😐)

    Learning about US aided genocide can be troubling.

     

    But like all of us here actually, we can't make much impact.  As there is complete bi-partisan agreement (re: the masters want it). edit: last few minutes of this one are a bit to polly-ana-ish for me.  Money and might rule all.

     

    The lack of true power and impact we all have in this duopoly can be frustrating for sure.  

    Perhaps contributing to humanitarian causes is the way to go.  I give to this one:

    https://www.anera.org/

     

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  2. Quote

     

    Internet and cell service have been cut off in the Gaza Strip as Israeli airstrikes intensify on the besieged territory, where more than 7,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas militants.

    News outlets and on-the-ground aid groups reported on Friday that their communications with individuals within Gaza have been severed, and the 2.3 million people who live there are now left in a near-complete digital blackout. Jawal and Paltel, Palestine’s largest internet service providers, said Friday that service had collapsed due to Israel’s bombardment of the region, which has intensified in the last 24 hours. “The intense bombing in the last hour caused the destruction of all remaining international routes linking Gaza to the outside world,” Paltel wrote in a statement.

     

     




    https://news.yahoo.com/gaza-internet-cell-cut-off-203531860.html

  3. Israel’s UN envoy slams General Assembly resolution
    Gilad Erdan says “this is a dark day for the UN and for mankind” after the UNGA passed the resolution, which urged a humanitarian truce in Gaza.

    The Israeli ambassador promised that Israel would use “every means” in fighting Hamas.

    “Today is a day that will go down as infamy. We have all witnessed that the UN no longer holds even one ounce of legitimacy or relevance,” Erdan said.

  4. Genocide Is Underway in Gaza. US Leaders Can No Longer Say “We Didn’t Know.”

    Quote

    The death toll from Israel’s aerial bombardment has surpassed 7000, including 3000 children, according to Palestinian health authorities. Fifty-one percent of all homes in Gaza have now been destroyed, and over 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in northern Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The dire, inhumane consequences of Israel’s halting deliveries of food, water, fuel, electricity and medicine will take their toll and will result in the death of an even larger number of Palestinian children and civilians in the coming days.

    Spoiler

    The past two weeks have been very painful for me and my Palestinian American family, but especially for our relatives in Palestine. I’ve had little sleep, and when I did manage to close my eyes, I was unable to stop the nightmares. The horror that is taking place in Gaza became like a noose around my neck preventing me from breathing. I couldn’t help but think of all the children who lost their parents, their homes, and who can’t understand why no one in the world cares about them and why no one is coming to their rescue. Close to half the population of Gaza was born under the 17-year-long suffocating siege and have known nothing but misery and extreme hardship.

    The death toll from Israel’s aerial bombardment has surpassed 7000, including 3000 children, according to Palestinian health authorities. Fifty-one percent of all homes in Gaza have now been destroyed, and over 1.4 million Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in northern Gaza, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The dire, inhumane consequences of Israel’s halting deliveries of food, water, fuel, electricity and medicine will take their toll and will result in the death of an even larger number of Palestinian children and civilians in the coming days.

    “Hospitals have lost their ability to treat [patients], and medical teams are treating the patients with very limited capabilities,” Palestinian health ministry spokesperson Ashraf Al-Qudra said in an interview.

    Under the watchful eye of world leaders who continue to repeat the same mantra that “Israel has the right to defend itself” but are indifferent to Palestinians and their right to resist their occupation and blockade, Maj. Gen. Giora Eiland, the former head of the Israel National Security Council, said in Israeli media, “Creating a severe humanitarian crisis in Gaza is a necessary means to achieve the goal. Gaza will become a place where no human being can exist.”

    “Human animals must be treated as such. There will be no electricity and no water [in Gaza], there will only be destruction,” said Maj. Gen. Ghassan Alian, head of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories. “You wanted hell, you will get hell.”

    U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s statement at yesterday’s UN Security Council session that the UN “must affirm the right of any nation to defend itself and to prevent such harm from repeating itself,” simply adds fuel to the fire. Every government official in the U.S., the U.K. and the EU who isn’t calling for a ceasefire and an end to the carnage should be held accountable for their part in this genocide. Sending billions of dollars in missiles and weapons to the Israeli military in order to mercilessly kill and ethnically cleanse more Palestinians amplifies the U.S.’s complicity in the atrocities. The tragic loss of Israeli lives on October 7 should not be used as a pretext to launch this genocidal campaign against Palestinians in Gaza.

    Israel is actively implementing a strategy I have called the “out-of-state” solution. This strategy aims to transfer Palestinians — or keep terrorizing and oppressing them until they give up and leave — to neighboring Arab countries, dispossessing them of their homeland. This is what we are witnessing in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem before our very eyes.

    According to the Palestine Ministry of Health in Ramallah, Israel Defense Forces and armed settlers have killed at least 100 Palestinians in the West Bank and displaced at least 13 Palestinian communities in the last two weeks.

    The two-state solution promised to Palestinians during the Oslo Accords is no longer possible; the chances of a one-state solution with equal citizenship rights for everyone are even slimmer, since Zionists insist on keeping Israel a Jewish state with democratic rights for Jews only.

    What is left — and what many in the new extremist Israeli government are in favor of — is driving as many Palestinians as possible out of Israel/Palestine.

    The Netanyahu government made clear its intention to commit genocide against the Palestinians and is counting on people around the world becoming numb as the death toll rises.

    During French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to Israel, Netanyahu said that the fight “was a battle between the ‘axis of evil’ and ‘the free world’.… This battle is not merely our own … it’s everybody’s battle.” Macron’s visit to Israel completes the series of pilgrimages to Israel by prominent Western leaders renewing their pledges of allegiance to the Israeli state and giving it the green light for its ground offensive.

    But, as we’ve seen time and time again, Palestinians are resilient and are determined to keep their struggle alive, no matter how severe Israeli attempts are at their erasure.

    There is a newly invigorated global grassroots movement for justice in the Arab and Muslim world as we’ve seen from the massive demonstrations in Amman, Cairo, Beirut, and elsewhere. Palestine is on the minds of the masses in Europe, too. From Paris — in defiance of a pro-Palestinian protest ban — to Dublin, London, Edinburgh and Geneva, the voices of Palestinian supporters chanting “Free Free Palestine” are reverberating in cities throughout the Western world. And in Washington, D.C. we heard the voices of American Jews mobilizing in solidarity with Palestinians and loudly declaring “Not In Our Name” as they marched to Capitol Hill and called on their representatives to demand an immediate ceasefire. On October 19, they shut down Congress to draw attention to the U.S. complicity in Israel’s ongoing oppression of Palestinians.

    Meanwhile, Palestinians in spaces ranging from cultural institutions to college campuses to media outlets are being silenced, harassed and discriminated against.

    My latest personal experience of this occurred in Germany, where I spent this past week attending the Frankfurter Buchmesse, or Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF). Upon my arrival in Frankfurt, I was greeted by an overwhelming display of Israeli flags everywhere — at the airport, on train ticket machines, on government buildings. Why, I wondered? Is it because Germany is still atoning for its past crimes? The next morning, I woke up to a shocking statement by the FBF Director Juergen Boos that said: “We want to make Jewish and Israeli voices especially visible at the book fair.… Frankfurter Buchmesse stands with complete solidarity on the side of Israel.”

    As if this was not bad enough coming from a renowned institution that was celebrating its 75th anniversary — and one that prides itself on promoting cultural exchange and freedom of expression — the FBF followed its one-sided statement by announcing a decision to cancel the award ceremony of the LiBeraturpreis 2023 “due to the war in Israel.” Palestinian writer Adania Shibli won the German literature prize this year. Contrary to what The New York Times initially reported, Shibli, whose first two novels Touch and We Are Equally Far Away from Love were released by Interlink Publishing, (the Massachusetts-based, independent publishing house that I founded), did not agree to the cancellation.

    In light of these announcements and the FBF’s attempt to silence Palestinian voices, many exhibitors — Indonesia’s collective stand, Malaysia’s collective stand, the Arab Publishers Association, the Sharjah Book authority, and others — decided to withdraw their participation as a sign of protest, leaving behind many empty booths. In a statement, the Sharjah Book Authority, organizer of the world’s third-largest book fair, said: “Given the recent announcement by the organizers of the Frankfurt Book Fair, we have decided to withdraw our participation this year. We champion the role of culture and books to encourage dialogue and understanding between people. We believe that this role is more important now than ever.”

    I, too, was compelled to withdraw from my scheduled talk sponsored by the Frankfurt Book Fair, where I was initially asked to participate in a discussion about the role of literature-in-translation in promoting cross-cultural understanding and knowledge. How could I participate in such a discussion when the FBF had just silenced an author whose novels we translated into English simply because she is Palestinian?

    The Simon Wiesenthal Centre, which claims to monitor the Frankfurt Book Fair each year for books that foment “antisemitism and hate” apparently did not like the Palestine-related books displayed on our stand and suggested that our publishing house, Interlink Publishing, “be denied access, in the spirit of the Fair’s rules.” The center called several of our titles “in the lineage of the so-called ‘self-hating’ Jews.” While the “Hate Prize” went to a Turkish publisher, Timas Publishing Group, the “Runner-Up Prize” is shared by our publishing house Interlink Publishing and French publisher La Fabrique “for their combined effort to demonize Israel and indulge in antisemitism.”

    The silencing of Palestinian voices and their supporters is not restricted to Germany. It is happening here in the United States, in mainstream media and on college campuses. The New York City cultural institution known as the 92nd Street Y canceled an event with author Viet Thanh Nguyen after he signed an open letter critical of Israel. As a result, several authors — including Saidiya Hartman, Christina Sharpe and Andrea Long Chu — have canceled their own upcoming talks at the 92nd Street Y. Similarly, the Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel canceled its contract to host the upcoming conference of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights scheduled to take place on October 27-29. You can read the full press release here. And according to a report in Arab News, the U.S. news network MSNBC suspended Muslim anchors Mehdi Hasan, Ayman Mohyeldin and Ali Velshi amid the Israeli war in Gaza. On October 26, 57 UMass Amherst students were arrested for democratic dissent.

    The world’s failure to challenge Israel’s ongoing oppression, occupation, apartheid and genocidal tactics against Palestinians provides the context for what is taking place now. Fearing a repeat of their mass displacement 75 years ago, many Palestinians in Gaza are opting to stay where they are and risk death. Israel’s message to the people of Gaza to leave or die is being ignored because Palestinians know that if they leave, they will not be able to return.

    There is an urgent need for a ceasefire to stop the deliberate mass killing of Palestinians, which is in flagrant violation of international law. The genocide is underway. We can no longer say that we didn’t know.

    https://truthout.org/articles/genocide-is-underway-in-gaza-us-leaders-can-no-longer-say-we-didnt-know/

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  5. It has been interesting to see that the  DT denizens are pretty comfortable in this thread.  Seems the CR and the DT majorities aren't overall all that different when it comes down to matters like this.  

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  6. Good ol Onion:

    Quote

     

    Biden Urges Americans Not To Let Dangerous Online Rhetoric Humanize Palestinians

    WASHINGTON—Upon returning from his brief diplomatic trip to the Middle East, President Joe Biden urged the nation Thursday not to let dangerous online rhetoric humanize Palestinians. “As the war between Israel and Hamas rages on, I urge my fellow Americans to remain vigilant, and not fall for any false propaganda that claims people living in Gaza and the West Bank are worthy of human life,” said the 46th president, adding that since the war had begun, U.S. intelligence had discovered countless bad actors flooding the internet with reports that many Palestinians were mothers, fathers, and children who were not terrorists and did not deserve to be trapped without food, water, or fuel while being carpet-bombed into submission. “If you hear a Palestinian being described with terminology like ‘son,’ ‘daughter,’ or ‘in desperate need of medical attention,’ then you should be aware that what you are reading has been specifically designed to stoke empathy.” At press time, Biden added that Americans should also avoid dangerous propaganda that wrongly asserts the billions of dollars in military aid the United States has sent to Israel could be spent on things like healthcare, education, or alleviating poverty at home.

     

    https://www.theonion.com/most-common-sti-in-every-state-1850937846

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  7. 2 hours ago, Tonesky said:

     

    Both the audio and crater analysis concern the direction of the missile immediately before impact, all of which is actually consistent with the US, Israeli, and other analysis (including Palestinian video of the missile changing direction mid-flight prior to impact). 

    What's your take on the allgedly* fabricated Hamas conversation?  There's enough to cast doubt.  There's also the head of the hospital stating Israel warned them to evacuate.  None of  this proves anything of course.  But there's doubt.  

  8. 7 minutes ago, Nivek said:

    There wasn't anything substantive in there.  Just a rant.  Nothing I haven't heard before. 

     

    I'll kind of do the same with your rant.  But I won't falsely imply bigotry.  Well, not yet.

    Edit:

    Quote

    If you want to hash out every little offense, the find someone else.  I don't care.

     

    That's kind of it in a nutshell, isn't it?  You don't care because it is easier to "both sides" this thing. I'll lump you in wit h Brisket and 956 and move on. Lolz at an apartheid state committing genocide being little offenses though.

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  9. 22 minutes ago, Nivek said:

    In my experience, when I hear someone say Zionism or some derivative of the term, I know some bigoted shit is about to come out.   I grew up in South Florida.  I don't think I ever heard a Jewish person use that term once.  But Neo-Nazi's sure love it.   Palestinians sure love it.  Just saying.....

     

    i do hope you listened to the entire thing.  it is possible to be anti-zionist/against the Israeli Apartheid State, and not be a bigot.  Many Jews hold the same beliefs.

     

  10. 6 minutes ago, Nivek said:

    In my experience, when I hear someone say Zionism or some derivative of the term, I know some bigoted shit is about to come out.   I grew up in South Florida.  I don't think I ever heard a Jewish person use that term once.  But Neo-Nazi's sure love it.   Palestinians sure love it.  Just saying.....

     

     

  11. Quote

     

    Palestinian Red Crescent says Israel orders hospital evacuation
    The Palestinian Red Crescent says that Israeli forces have issued an evacuation order to Al-Quds hospital in Gaza.

    The hospital is currently home to over 400 patients and 12,000 displaced civilians, according to the Red Crescent.

    In a post on X, the humanitarian organisation called on the "international community to act urgently, averting another catastrophe like Al-Ahli Hospital" - in reference to the explosion at the Baptist hospital for which the Palestinian blame Israel, but Israelis presented evidence which it said showed was caused by a rocket fired from inside Gaza.

     



    https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-middle-east-67165505

  12. 24 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

    He's been around elsewhere.  Stop.

    He answered me last night.  Why are you digging it back up?  And I did stop.  Up until you quoted me I have not been in this thread today.  Don't quote me again and I'll be sure to stop. I'm out.
     

  13. 1 hour ago, Tonesky said:

     

    I’ve never posted under any other name on this site or its predecessors. 

     what other threads do you post in?  you sure became active in this one, and I've never seen this handle before.

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  14. 1 minute ago, troph said:

    I dunno I watched news all last night and the narrative was Israel bombed a hospital not a Hamas rocket landed in a parking lot and exploded. I heard 500 dead, when it's clearly a lot less.

    I think what Israel does in the westbank and the blockade on Gaza is well covered.  I actually think calling Hamas out on its fucking lies is what doesn't happen.  Hell, this morning, CNN reported the dispute and went out of their way to say it can't be confirmed. Last night the headline was Israel bombed a hospital killing 500.

    Sorry troph, meant on the larger scale, not the hospital thing.  The bigger picture of colonialism, occupation, apartheid, e.t.c.   Start with Amnesty International

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  15. 10 minutes ago, BeardIP said:

    I was specifically commenting on how the terrorist group Hamas does not have the earned credibility to be believed without a couple of independent verifications in a similar fashion of Israel and your assessment thereof. 

    So instead of saying "beheaded babies" to drive home the point of disrepute, I should have used other examples. Got it.

    I agree with the assessment in the first paragraph.  But yes, you don't back up a statement about lack of crediblity with a rumor that has no proof.

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  16. 4 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

    I sure as hell didn't ever blindly accept the beheading babies story - I still haven't seen anything close to proof.

    But you spend 10X the energy on disputing that story than on placing culpability on Hamas.  Your take, like that of most of the apologists, is "yes, crimes were committed.  Very bad.  Let's move on so I can get to my agenda: Fuck Israel with everything capable of fucking Israel."

    Nope.  We don't get to just skip the fuck over Hamas's crimes, both their crimes in the attack on civilians and on their undeniable and documented war crimes of sheltering military assets in civilian structures like schools.  The level of moral culpability on Hamas, and yes, on the people who support them, is fucking substantial, and must be dealt with.

    As must Israel's ongoing crimes in the West Bank. And Likud's plan to foment further discord to give Israel the opportunity to exercise force again and again.  And the list goes on.  

    Maybe what I'm sick of is the fucking narrative of "yeah, I know, to be intellectually honest, I have to say that both sides bear responsibility, but having said that, I'm going to skip right over the horrific shit by the side I support, and focus exclusively on the horrific shit by the side I want to demonize."  I'll certainly note that plenty of the "I stand with Israel crowd" does this, and it's a shitty look.  Just like it's a shitty look on the palestinian defenders when they can't help but functionally exculpate Palestinian terrorism with what amounts to "but they're oppressed, so I understand, these things happen, let's move on."

    This entire thing is full of shit and straw men..  Like a thousand percent brisket nuttiness on display.  I quite literally don't have the time or desire to answer it all.  Good day.

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