04-23-2024, 07:07 PM
(04-23-2024, 06:50 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Not if you look at the votes. He is in line with the majority of Democratic politicians on things. Honestly, Fetterman is definitely one of my favorites which is no surprise. He has his principles and doesn't care about party principles. We would probably disagree on a few things but would agree on far more.
Yes, I was aware of his voting record being very much inline with the Dems. I recently read an article on him, I honestly don't remember from where, and that was a key point. I don't think that nullifies my point though. If you vote party line 95% of the time, but the 5% you don't are huge issues that's a rather more significant number than 5% would lead you to believe. Of the top of my head his going after Bob Menendez in a major way would be another example other than Israel.
Quote:What frustrates me about some of his comments, and it is really what frustrates me about the conversation as a whole, is that there seems to be little room being given by some to criticize Netanyahu and his handling of this. When more than half of the reported casualties in Gaza appear to be non-combatants and, if the most recent reports are true, there are mass graves with Palestinians murdered with their hands tied, those are not acceptable. I don't care who it is. There are no excuses. But that is seen by so many as somehow anti-Israel or even anti-Semitic. All it is really is being against the killing of innocent people.
I know some will snicker here, but I agree. I think the problem is that a very large percentage of the people who voice criticism of Netanyahu also couple their points with very slanted views of Hamas and their "plight." One need look no further than this very board, in which a thread, started by you, on the conflict has literally zero posts about the actions of Hamas from left leaning posters, they are all about Israel and the claims of their actions (withb the exception of one, very recent, both sides do it post of an article by someone else). One can only hear, "yeah, Hamas is bad too" so many times without any posts about them before the claim starts to lose any legitimacy.
In truth Netanyahu is to Israel what Dick Cheney is to us and Putin is to Russia. He's an amoral man who is willing to do pretty much anything he can get away with the achieve his goals. The problem is that his direct opposition in Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran are infinitely worse. It's like our being on the same side as Stalin, possibly (probably?) a more odious man than Hitler. It's far from ideal, but the alternative is worse.
Quote:But so many seem to be unable to talk about this with any sort of nuance. This is why I mostly avoid the Israel/Hamas thread.
Understandable. I think the occasional rational point from you, and others like you, would help steer the conversation in more productive directions though. But, again, I get what you're saying.
