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Culture War Roundup for the week of April 27, 2026

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Your obsession with the identity of the missile is bizarre, I'm not going to go into this anymore. Your main argument was silly and wrong. Bombing countries does in fact inspire hatred towards those who do bombing.

Here's what I said before this pathetic outburst of nitpicking:

However, Khameini's death means his fatwa against nuclear weapons no longer holds. If the IRGC take control, as militaries have been known to do in wartime, then we may see a much more militarized, nuclearized and aggressive Iran. They absolutely can and likely will hate Israel more than they hate them now! There are only so many regime-change attempts they can take before turning a latent nuclear program into a real nuclear program.

And here's what you said:

What I am trying to say is that the Iranian government's hatred of Israel and desire for nuclear weapons was pretty maximal before the latest attack, so I doubt that this will provoke the reaction you predict. At this point, the main thing for Israel (and the US) to do, to paraphrase the Untouchables, is the Chicago Way.

You said Iran was already maximally hateful towards Israel, maximally committed to nuclear weapons. Quite clearly they were not, for they would've acquired nuclear weapons over the last 30 years of breathless Israeli fearmongering and nuked Israel with them. They haven't done this because they just aren't as vengeful and hateful as Israel. Iran doesn't have any religious anniversaries to slaughtering Jews, like Jews have in Purim. Iraq invaded their country, gassed them, fought viciously all within living memory... they didn't nuke Iraq. But you say they'd nuke Israel, they just mysteriously have all this hate in their hearts and so they need to be destroyed in escalatory strikes, the Chicago Way...

It is obvious that blowing up refineries in Tehran and making thick toxic smog is going to make Iranians upset with Israel. Along with assassinating leaders. Along with blowing up schools, whether it's Israel or America that does it. This is basic, kindergarten-tier psychology that seemingly escapes you since you classified them all as jew-haters against whom escalation has only gains, not costs. The same goes the other way around, for what it's worth. Israelis aren't going to be thrilled with Iran making them cower in bomb shelters, interrupting their sleep.

Constantly calling everyone else liars isn't going to work out forever, not when people can see the results of these wars over imaginary WMDs for themselves. Forget about me, think about all the tens, hundreds of millions who are going to be developing anti-semitism when they try to buy some petrol.

You genuinely believe that Jewish people -- as a group -- bear significant responsibility and blame for Australia's policy towards Aboriginal Australians. Right?

Duh, obviously they are. They boast about it. They did all kinds of agitating and lobbying and legal work, even write little children's books about Reconciliation, they write whole articles (these are just a few) talking about how their Jewish values led them in that direction, tikkun olam and all that. Are you saying I should disbelieve all these Jewish sources, call them liars? Or is the Mabo case a bit of a nothingburger, not very important? Who's the anti-semite here?

Your obsession with the identity of the missile is bizarre

You're the one who is obsessed with the identity of the missile. Or rather, you were obsessed until it turned out the situation couldn't be twisted into a blood libel against Israel. I wish I could say that your obsession is bizarre, but unfortunately Jew hatred is all too common.

Anyway, the fact is that you misrepresented our exchange. I NEVER "insinuated" that Iran was responsible for the school situation; rather, I kept an open mind. See, I'm not a big fan of Iran but I'm not so consumed by hate that I can't think rationally.

You said Iran was already maximally hateful towards Israel, maximally committed to nuclear weapons. Quite clearly they were not, for they would've acquired nuclear weapons over the last 30 years of breathless Israeli fearmongering and nuked Israel with them.

I don't think this claim will stand up to scrutiny. Here's what I asked you last go-round. I would appreciate answers:

Well do you agree that

(1) enriching Uranium requires large amounts of specialized equipment, such as centrifuges;

(2) the Iranians did actually construct a facility with such centrifuges;

(3) those centrifuge facilities have been sabotaged and/or bombed?

It is obvious that blowing up refineries in Tehran and making thick toxic smog is going to make Iranians upset with Israel.

Well what do you think Iran is going to do against Israel now that it wouldn't otherwise have done, given that now they are REALLY pissed off?

Duh, obviously they are. They boast about it. They did all kinds of agitating and lobbying and legal work, even write little children's books about Reconciliation, they write whole articles (these are just a few) talking about how their Jewish values led them in that direction, tikkun olam and all that. Are you saying I should disbelieve all these Jewish sources, call them liars? Or is the Mabo case a bit of a nothingburger, not very important? Who's the anti-semite here

Lol, you are. If any lurkers are still reading, it seems /u/randomranger has provided an excellent example of my point. Is it a coincidence that (1) he aggressively criticizes Israel to the point of rushing to judgment; (2) he believes Jewish people are collectively responsible (to a significant extent) for policies of the Australian government with which he disagrees; and (3) as far as I can tell, he doesn't seriously deny that he hates Jewish people?

The question on the table is whether (1) the accusation of anti-Semitism is just a rhetorical ploy to blunt criticism of Israel or if (2) it has actual merit. It seems pretty clear to me that, at least in this situation, it's the second possibility.