Israel/Hamas War Superthread

[Dill]

(03-16-2024, 11:57 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: It is exactly as I have said--you begin with the assumption that 1) Israelis/the IDF don't lie or commit war crimes,
and 2) that's ALL Hamas does.  And your posts demand TRUST of IDF accounts of the war and DISTRUST of independent observers,
whose reporting is simply dismissed in advance as "Hamas propaganda." (E.g., see your response to Dino's post # 166.)

Yes, I give the IDF the benefit of the doubt and I do not give Hamas the benefit of the doubt.  That's because one is a terrorist organization that records itself gleefully slaughtering and raping civilians and then kidnapping infants and toddlers.  Yes, I will do that and I will continue to do that.

Nope, it's the actual excuse making that gets labeled supporting terrorism.  GM, for all his faults, does not engage in the same tactics as you.  You richly deserve the label, hence my using it.

It's not about giving one side "the benefit of the doubt." It's about examining whatever reports come out of a war zone by gathering and comparing other and all evidence. It means not calling evidence confirmed by multiple journalists and other observers "anecdotal" when it doesn't favor propaganda goals.

You aren't just giving one side "the benefit of the doubt" when you cruelly dismiss reports of massive Palestinian casualties as Hamas propaganda.

"Actual excuse making" still just turns out to be acknowledging IDF war crimes. You are demanding a double standard in reporting and in forum discussion.

Those who don't toe the line on the double standard are "apologists" and "the proof is everywhere," like in the links below. 

(03-16-2024, 11:57 AM)Sociopathicsteelerfan Wrote: You saying this in a thread in which anyone can read you doing exactly that is awesome.  Truly.

When defining equation I'll stick with the dictionary definition.  Also, by accurate reporting do you mean the time the IDF bombed a hospital?  That kind of accurate reporting?

I didn't rush to denounce CNN when its reporting on 40 babies beheaded by Hamas, as reported by the IDF, 
https://www.businessinsider.com/idf-says-hamas-decapitated-babies-in-israel-2023-10?r=US&IR=T
was undermined. https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/internet/unverified-allegations-beheaded-babies-israel-hamas-war-inflame-social-rcna119902
https://www.politifact.com/article/2023/nov/21/israel-hamas-war-what-we-know-about-beheaded-babie/

And so far I have refrained from commenting on other IDF efforts to strain evidence beyond what it can support.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/information-missteps-led-questions-israels-credibility-rcna125723.

You, on the other hand, rushed to denounce the NYT for mis-reporting a hospital bombing, an error it immediately corrected.
And you rushed to tack on to that error all manner of inflated consequences. That error is apparently still your gold standard of 
one-sided judgment, even as  continued reporting forms a more complete picture of hospital attacks, which are neither "errors" nor "anecdotal."
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/12/21/al-shifa-hospital-gaza-hamas-israel/
https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2024/01/middleeast/gaza-hospitals-destruction-investigation-intl-cmd/
https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/14/gaza-unlawful-israeli-hospital-strikes-worsen-health-crisis

The NYT article about Hamas rape, "Screams without Words" (12/31/23), has caused an internal rift in the NYT over reporting standards, including
the selection of reporters and too easy acceptance of IDF claims. That hasn't caught your interest though.
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/06/1236130609/new-york-times-hamas-attacks-israel-palestine

So to continue with my previous point about comparing/vetting evidence.  The news reading public is bound to get conflicting reports about events in a war zone. The point is not to endorse every first report, or second, and then run with it if it suits our agenda. People should be stepping back and attempting to get the most complete picture possible by vetting multiple sources.

If you are trying to hinder that effort, tarring those who insist on accuracy as "Hamas supporters,"
then you are not giving the IDF the "benefit of the doubt," you are actively aiding it in a propaganda war.