This is just realpolitik. A second Trump presidency is an existential threat to the Republic. Under those terms, it’s hard not to justify any action, no matter how repugnant, that prevents it or even reduces the likelihood. That full-throated support of Israel happens to put Biden in the same camp as end-times death cultists is incidental: it polls better than the alternative.
To be even more cynical, there’s a compelling, if grizzly, argument that American-friendly Israel is a perpetual anchorhead for American geopolitical interests in the Levant, and genocide doesn’t really change that. It’s easy (and appropriate) to condemn all actors here: Hamas, Netanyahu/IDF, and the US/Biden are all evil. Sane people everywhere would prefer that all parties put down their rockets and go the fuck home.
But if that’s not going to happen, would Biden be serving his country better by wagging his finger at Netanyahu?
You’re not wrong, but think of it in terms of Biden tolerating this evil nonsense has the potential to curtail Trump actively encouraging or even instigating more and worse.
Think of it as less kicking the can down the road, as it is kicking the can out of Trump’s hand before he has a chance to pick it up and do something we’ll all regret more.
This is just realpolitik. A second Trump presidency is an existential threat to the Republic. Under those terms, it’s hard not to justify any action, no matter how repugnant, that prevents it or even reduces the likelihood. That full-throated support of Israel happens to put Biden in the same camp as end-times death cultists is incidental: it polls better than the alternative.
To be even more cynical, there’s a compelling, if grizzly, argument that American-friendly Israel is a perpetual anchorhead for American geopolitical interests in the Levant, and genocide doesn’t really change that. It’s easy (and appropriate) to condemn all actors here: Hamas, Netanyahu/IDF, and the US/Biden are all evil. Sane people everywhere would prefer that all parties put down their rockets and go the fuck home.
But if that’s not going to happen, would Biden be serving his country better by wagging his finger at Netanyahu?
If that happens Israel just goes back to using the IDF as muscle so “settlers” can steal land from Palestinians…
Two weeks ago the status quo was still massively fucked up, and going back to it won’t solve anything. It’s just kicking the can down the road
You’re not wrong, but think of it in terms of Biden tolerating this evil nonsense has the potential to curtail Trump actively encouraging or even instigating more and worse.
Think of it as less kicking the can down the road, as it is kicking the can out of Trump’s hand before he has a chance to pick it up and do something we’ll all regret more.
You kind of lost me after that
But it seems you’re using that neoliberal logic where Dems should always agree halfway with Republicans
If that happens Israel just goes back to using the IDF as muscle so “settlers” can steal land from Palestinians…
Two weeks ago the status quo was still massively fucked up, and going back to it won’t solve anything. It’s just kicking the can down the road.