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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 22, 2024

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Operation Poseidon Archer

Reported by CNN:

The United States has named the ongoing operation to target Houthi assets in Yemen “Operation Poseidon Archer,” according to two US officials.

The named operation suggests a more organized, formal and potentially long-term approach to the operations in Yemen, where the US has been hitting Houthi infrastructure as the Iran-backed rebel group has vowed to keep targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

I have mixed feelings about this. It is clearly the responsibility of the imperial hegemon to protect global shipping lanes. But by that same logic, it's time for the imperial hegemon to force a settlement onto the Israelis due to their never-ending destabilization of the region. That would entail the EU forcing a peace onto Israel, performing a Special Military Operation within Israel if necessary.

Bring back the 117 AD borders, with EU administration of Jerusalem. Jews may live in Jerusalem, wail at their wall and study Torah in peace, but it is utterly nonsensical for the West to continue to bear the burden of Israeli destabilization of the region.

This washy middle ground of appealing to imperial obligations when it comes to Middle Eastern intervention, without control of the "vassal" state destabilizing the region, is a never-ending pattern that has to stop. The US and EU has more than enough leverage to force a settlement onto Israel.

I very much disagree with your assessment as to what is destabilizing the region. If not for Israel some other excuse would be made. Stabilization in the Mid East is probably synonymous with aggressive depopulation and/or heavy handed colonialism.

There are stable countries in the middle east. There have been long peacefull periods. Bombing them relentlessly, engaging in regime change and undermining stable regimes has been a disaster. Libya was stable for decades before the neocons decided to have a war and flood Europe with migrants. Syria could have been as stable as Jordan or the UAE if it hadn't been destroyed.

What has created stable states in the middle east is not intervening in them.

Libya was stable for decades before the neocons decided to have a war and flood Europe with migrants. Syria could have been as stable as Jordan or the UAE if it hadn't been destroyed.

You also blame Israel for Syria? Syria had a civil war because Al Assad was shitty at managing his state. The Syrian economy didnt fundamentally improve the lives of its citizens. I remember reading that climate change forced Syrian farmers into cities in Syria. Food prices increased a lot, which led to the Syrian 2011 protests that became a national rebellion.

The Middle East is unstable because its leaders and elites have been shit at managing their states. This leads to major rebellions and wars. This is why there was a rebellion against Gaddafi in Libya and Al Assad in Syria. The French went into Libya because of a mix of morality and wanting to maintain power over their former colonial holdings. Not neocon interventionism on behalf of Israel.

Sanctions, Israeli bombing of Libya and Israeli support for jihadist groups did not help at all. Israel has clearly seen Syria as an enemy and has done its best for decades to undermine and destroy Syria.

Why do these rebels end up with air support and expensive weapons? Who trains these militias? How did thousands of mercenaries show up in Libya and why was Libya bombed to pieces from the sky? The countries in the middle east that haven't been bombed are more stable, more peaceful, don't have massive outflows of refugees and are far better to live in than the ones destroyed by interventionists who attend AIPAC conferences.

Jordan, Egypt, the UAE and Saudi is stable. Iran is unusually stable for a country that has fought a major war and has had a neighboring country invaded three times in the past decades.

Sanctions, Israeli bombing of Libya and Israeli support for jihadist groups did not help at all. Israel has clearly seen Syria as an enemy and has done its best for decades to undermine and destroy Syria.

When did Israel bomb Libya? Your making stuff up. Sanctions on Libya were because of French neocolonial and Western morality, Same with Syria.

Israel did also not train Jihadist groups in Syria. It at most, provided medical support for anyone who came to the border. Which included Syrian civilians. The West backing the Free Syrian Army was because of Western morality and some love for Western democracy. Not Israel.

Why do these rebels end up with air support and expensive weapons? Who trains these militias? How did thousands of mercenaries show up in Libya and why was Libya bombed to pieces from the sky?

You really believe Israel is the answer for all of this? Dont you see you have a ton of regional actors like the Gulf States, Iran, Algeria, Egypt or even far away regional actors like France or Russia? They are the ones who provide weapons and training. Look at Sudan currently and the RSF vs the Sudanese govt. The RSF is gaining support militarily from the UAE. While the Sudanese govt gains support from Saudi Arabia. Its a proxy conflict between them. Nothing to do with Israel.

Your looking for Israel to be the answer for why the Middle East is unstable. Its not. The Middle East is unstable because of the Middle Easts characteristics. The West projecting their values on the Middle East doesnt help. Its not the Israelis making Libya rise up against Gaddafi nor against Assad. Its not the Israelis that make Jihadist groups or political Islam attractive. Its more likely extreme religiosity and poverty.