(09-19-2024, 07:46 AM)Duchess Wrote:

(09-18-2024, 08:47 PM)rothschild Wrote: I didn't know pagers were still a thing. Sounds like that old TV show Get Smart.

First, I have to tell you I confused Hamas & Hezbollah. That's how my comment ended up in this thread. *sigh*

Hezbollah have to use pagers because their use of cell phones was giving their enemies too much information (location, plans, people, etc). It's being reported that Israeli spies are associated with the firm that is behind the exploding pagers. They deny it. The explosions were simultaneously detonated and it was a thing of beauty. 

I just saw a headline saying that more wireless devices are exploding in a second wave of attacks. Ingenious!

I don't get how pagers obviate phones. The big problem with cell phones is apps and wi-fi. Don't know how secure TOR is but that might be the best solution for international communication. Story seems a bit sus because these groups know the pitfalls of hi-tech. Who knows.

Personally, I side with Iran and Hezbollah. The enemy of my enemy may not be a friend, but Israel and the US are the greatest threat to world peace and security. I know we disagree with respect to Russia but their human rights record after the fall of the Soviet Union is favorable compared to the US. The US is indistinguishable from Israel. They're one and the same for all intents and purposes. Until that changes I can't support the US gov't. I hope that does change but it doesn't seem likely at this point in time.

Well aren't you a proper muppet.

(09-19-2024, 03:28 PM)BigMark Wrote: Well aren't you a proper muppet.

Muppets would be the German bootlickers that supported the Nazi gov't until the end.

(09-19-2024, 03:23 PM)rothschild Wrote:

(09-19-2024, 07:46 AM)Duchess Wrote:

(09-18-2024, 08:47 PM)rothschild Wrote: I didn't know pagers were still a thing. Sounds like that old TV show Get Smart.

First, I have to tell you I confused Hamas & Hezbollah. That's how my comment ended up in this thread. *sigh*

Hezbollah have to use pagers because their use of cell phones was giving their enemies too much information (location, plans, people, etc). It's being reported that Israeli spies are associated with the firm that is behind the exploding pagers. They deny it. The explosions were simultaneously detonated and it was a thing of beauty. 

I just saw a headline saying that more wireless devices are exploding in a second wave of attacks. Ingenious!

I don't get how pagers obviate phones. The big problem with cell phones is apps and wi-fi. Don't know how secure TOR is but that might be the best solution for international communication. Story seems a bit sus because these groups know the pitfalls of hi-tech. Who knows.

Personally, I side with Iran and Hezbollah. The enemy of my enemy may not be a friend, but Israel and the US are the greatest threat to world peace and security. I know we disagree with respect to Russia but their human rights record after the fall of the Soviet Union is favorable compared to the US. The US is indistinguishable from Israel. They're one and the same for all intents and purposes. Until that changes I can't support the US gov't. I hope that does change but it doesn't seem likely at this point in time.

I think it's more likely under Trump though if it were likely at all. That's a far stretch because he's controlled in what he says and does too.

(09-19-2024, 04:19 PM)sally Wrote:

(09-19-2024, 03:23 PM)rothschild Wrote:

(09-19-2024, 07:46 AM)Duchess Wrote:

(09-18-2024, 08:47 PM)rothschild Wrote: I didn't know pagers were still a thing. Sounds like that old TV show Get Smart.

First, I have to tell you I confused Hamas & Hezbollah. That's how my comment ended up in this thread. *sigh*

Hezbollah have to use pagers because their use of cell phones was giving their enemies too much information (location, plans, people, etc). It's being reported that Israeli spies are associated with the firm that is behind the exploding pagers. They deny it. The explosions were simultaneously detonated and it was a thing of beauty. 

I just saw a headline saying that more wireless devices are exploding in a second wave of attacks. Ingenious!

I don't get how pagers obviate phones. The big problem with cell phones is apps and wi-fi. Don't know how secure TOR is but that might be the best solution for international communication. Story seems a bit sus because these groups know the pitfalls of hi-tech. Who knows.

Personally, I side with Iran and Hezbollah. The enemy of my enemy may not be a friend, but Israel and the US are the greatest threat to world peace and security. I know we disagree with respect to Russia but their human rights record after the fall of the Soviet Union is favorable compared to the US. The US is indistinguishable from Israel. They're one and the same for all intents and purposes. Until that changes I can't support the US gov't. I hope that does change but it doesn't seem likely at this point in time.

I think it's more likely under Trump though if it were likely at all. That's a far stretch because he's controlled in what he says and does too.

Kennedy's a good example of what happens if you piss off the wrong people. Don't know if it was valor or foolishness -- perhaps both -- but he did what was right.

Former CIA director Leon Panetta bluntly states that the Israeli pager attack is a new, unprecedented form of terrorism.

Hundreds of Iranian hypersonic missiles have struck Israel, very few were intercepted. Now we wait for the Israeli reaction.

(10-01-2024, 03:56 PM)rothschild Wrote: Hundreds of Iranian hypersonic missiles have struck Israel, very few were intercepted. Now we wait for the Israeli reaction.

I just read that United States destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea took down multiple missiles. There are 3 destroyers there and additional ones in the Red Sea.

(10-01-2024, 04:18 PM)Duchess Wrote:

(10-01-2024, 03:56 PM)rothschild Wrote: Hundreds of Iranian hypersonic missiles have struck Israel, very few were intercepted. Now we wait for the Israeli reaction.

I just read that United States destroyers in the Mediterranean Sea took down multiple missiles. There are 3 destroyers there and additional ones in the Red Sea.

Ballistic missiles are fairly easy to intercept, hypersonic missiles are very difficult. Iran used both.

I'm getting pretty sick of the bullshit that allows some people to fight back, but others are not. Truly. I'm sick to death of it.

(10-01-2024, 04:43 PM)Duchess Wrote: I'm getting pretty sick of the bullshit that allows some people to fight back, but others are not. Truly. I'm sick to death of it.

The days of the US dictating the affairs of foreign nations is quickly coming to an end. The US is being dragged into a regional war that it has no chance of winning with conventional force, and the nuclear balance of power between East and West appears to be relative parity. No idea how it is with doomsday preparedness. If the West believes it has an advantage then nuclear warfare is almost certainly an acceptable military option.

This video shows that Israel's Iron Dome was completely overwhelmed, but this is what Netanyahu wants. I doubt there are many Israelis who feel the same way.

Apparently I don't understand a great deal about the why our country seems to fall in line with Israel. I don't view Israel leadership as being our friend and I don't support whatever the fuck it is that keeps us supplying Israel with the means to murder people. I know the terrorists need to be taken out. I'm not oblivious to that, but I am not down with the end justifying the means.

(10-02-2024, 06:18 AM)Duchess Wrote: Apparently I don't understand a great deal about the why our country seems to fall in line with Israel. I don't view Israel leadership as being our friend and I don't support whatever the fuck it is that keeps us supplying Israel with the means to murder people. I know the terrorists need to be taken out. I'm not oblivious to that, but I am not down with the end justifying the means.

For me terrorism is a word that appeals to fear and hatred. Yes, there are terrorists, but in many cases the word is used to demonize people with legitimate grievances. Are cluster bombs more civilized than IED's or suicide bombers? No, they are not, so who are the terrorists? In many cases they're just local people resisting military aggression by nations like Israel, the US, the UK, and a good many other colonial powers. We support Israel because our gov't still has a colonial mentality. Birds of a feather flocking together.

Peasants are trash as far as the ruling elite are concerned. Read Rudyard Kipling's poem The White Man's Burden. That's how the "elite" see themselves. They're "civilizing" the heathen scum for their own good.

Hatred begets hatred, violence begets violence, terrorism begets terrorism. If we ever learn how to solve problems without resorting to violence the cycle will be broken and we'll have the opportunity to build truly civilized societies. War isn't an inevitable consequence of human nature. It's the result of human stagnancy arising from defective leadership.

(10-02-2024, 07:36 AM)rothschild Wrote: For me terrorism is a word that appeals to fear and hatred. Yes, there are terrorists, but in many cases the word is used to demonize people with legitimate grievances. Are cluster bombs more civilized than IED's or suicide bombers? No, they are not, so who are the terrorists? In many cases they're just local people resisting military aggression by nations like Israel, the US, the UK, and a good many other colonial powers. We support Israel because our gov't still has a colonial mentality. Birds of a feather flocking together.

Peasants are trash as far as the ruling elite are concerned. Read Rudyard Kipling's poem The White Man's Burden. That's how the "elite" see themselves. They're "civilizing" the heathen scum for their own good.

Hatred begets hatred, violence begets violence, terrorism begets terrorism. If we ever learn how to solve problems without resorting to violence the cycle will be broken and we'll have the opportunity to build truly civilized societies. War isn't an inevitable consequence of human nature. It's the result of human stagnancy arising from defective leadership.

I agree. For as long as I've held an opinion about Israel I have thought that they are the terrorists they accuse others of being. 

I would hope that if our country were invaded that we would stand up to the aggression too.

I read the poem and I feel like I got the sarcasm or maybe I read too much into it.

War is coming to America via the cartels.

(10-02-2024, 08:46 AM)Duchess Wrote:

(10-02-2024, 07:36 AM)rothschild Wrote: For me terrorism is a word that appeals to fear and hatred. Yes, there are terrorists, but in many cases the word is used to demonize people with legitimate grievances. Are cluster bombs more civilized than IED's or suicide bombers? No, they are not, so who are the terrorists? In many cases they're just local people resisting military aggression by nations like Israel, the US, the UK, and a good many other colonial powers. We support Israel because our gov't still has a colonial mentality. Birds of a feather flocking together.

Peasants are trash as far as the ruling elite are concerned. Read Rudyard Kipling's poem The White Man's Burden. That's how the "elite" see themselves. They're "civilizing" the heathen scum for their own good.

Hatred begets hatred, violence begets violence, terrorism begets terrorism. If we ever learn how to solve problems without resorting to violence the cycle will be broken and we'll have the opportunity to build truly civilized societies. War isn't an inevitable consequence of human nature. It's the result of human stagnancy arising from defective leadership.

I agree. For as long as I've held an opinion about Israel I have thought that they are the terrorists they accuse others of being. 

I would hope that if our country were invaded that we would stand up to the aggression too.

I read the poem and I feel like I got the sarcasm or maybe I read too much into it.

You read correctly, I think. Sardonic wit, that applies to all of Western colonialism. The Major General I referenced re War is a Racket earned a Medal of Honor in the Philippines. He was there and saw what Kipling spoke of. He later acknowledged exactly what it was that he had been a party to. Mercantilism sans monarchy. It was the same in Haiti, and many other places. Over time foreign interventionism gave rise to the military-industrial complex Eisenhower warned about at the end of his presidency.

Looks like Israel is in a bit of trouble.

There are reports that Army Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi was assassinated in a drone attack against the Golani Brigade. Israel has confirmed the attack, has said nothing about Halevi.

I don't know what's going on, but I doubt I'd have any compassion for those savages if I did.