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Trump will give Israel ‘blank check’ which may mean all-out war with Iran, says ex-CIA chief

https://lemmy.world/post/21749409

Trump will give Israel ‘blank check’ which may mean all-out war with Iran, says ex-CIA chief - Lemmy.World

Summary Former CIA Director Leon Panetta warned that Trump’s return to the White House could embolden Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, giving him a “blank check” in the Middle East and increasing the risk of war with Iran. Panetta expressed concern that Trump would support Netanyahu’s aggressive stance against Iran without restraint, potentially worsening regional instability. Panetta also predicted Trump might allow Russia to retain parts of Ukraine if he returns to office, though he doubted Trump’s negotiation skills. He criticized Trump’s approach to foreign policy, suggesting Trump would be inclined to “capitulate” to authoritarian leaders, which may not sit well with some Republicans.

Nov 7, 2024 at 7:39pmWeb
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
Congratulations, idealists. You definitely stopped the genocide by refusing to vote for Harris and urging others to do likewise. A+ job.
Show threadNoneOfUrBusinessNov 7, 2024
Okay my man look at the margins. The anti-genocide people could've all voted and it wouldn't have flipped a single state outside of Michigan. And the thing is: Harris lost before Michigan even finished counting. So yeah, you're barking up the wrong tree here.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
Please give me the numbers of these in every swing state along with how they were determined.
Show threadPugJesusNov 7, 2024

The anti-genocide people could’ve all voted and it wouldn’t have flipped a single state outside of Michigan.

See, if you’d said the anti-genocide people who protest voted could’ve all voted for Harris, you might’ve had a point.

But turnout in this election for the Democratic candidate was significantly decreased, and an uncertain number of those were anti-genocide.

Abstaining gave Trump the presidency. Abstaining for what reason varies, but Gaza was clearly an issue for some to stay home.

Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
This is one of the excuses they are giving rather than accept any culpability whatsoever. “Even if we voted for Harris, Trump would still have won.”
Show threadCmdrShepard42Nov 8, 2024

Culpability for what? Nothing is forcing Biden and Harris to support such atrocities. Nothing forced them to abandon the left and the working class and cater to the right at every opportunity. If you want to point fingers, why don’t you start with the actual candidate leading the campaign, who consciously made all these decisions, and the party leaders backing her?

Was 2016 not enough of a wakeup call? Was the near loss in 2020 not a wakeup call? Here we are in 2024, repeating the same old song and dance, and people are still digging their heels in thinking that moving further and further right is a winning strategy for the Democrats and it’s everyone else’s fault when it doesn’t work again and again and again.

Maybe the party leadership will finally pull their heads out of their asses after this, but I won’t hold my breath. They’ll probably pick someone like Joe Manchin to run in 2028 and then wonder where it all went wrong once again when he loses to someone like Ted Cruz or Ron DeSantis.

Show threadnickwitha_k (he/him)Nov 8, 2024

Culpability for what?

Maybe handing all three branches of a nuclear power to literal fascists?

Maybe the party leadership will finally pull their heads out of their asses after this, but I won’t hold my breath. They’ll probably pick someone like Joe Manchin to run in 2028…

You really don’t grasp what has has transpired here do you? You think that those of us who have been ringing the alarms are just overreacting and it’s going to be business as usual?

Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024

Culpability for you supporting the atrocities.

That’s right, you. By helping get Trump into office since you and others refused to “vote for genocide,” you have let the guy who told Netanyahu to “finish the job” on national TV to take office. The same guy who is going to start more genocides- of brown and queer people- in the U.S.

That is your fault because you were too ideologically self-righteous to do anything about it.

I don’t want to hear any American voter who didn’t vote for Harris to claim anything about being anti-genocide. Because it’s a fucking lie. You can lie to yourself all you want, but if you lie about that to me, I’m calling you out.

Show threadWrenchNov 8, 2024

And in the same breath, they’ll say it’s the Dems fault for supporting genocide.

“Or votes wouldn’t have made a difference in the outcome, but Dems lost because they didn’t do the thing that would have supposedly gotten our vote”

Yep.

Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024
That’s exactly what’s happening.
Show threadEmpireInDecayNov 7, 2024
Then he will be held to the same account Harris was.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
What are you even talking about? Harris is the Vice President. Exactly what do you think her job responsibilities and powers are?
Show threadEmpireInDecayNov 7, 2024
She said she would not have changed a single decision that was made during the Biden administration. Biden said that she was in 100% agreement with every decision made. Which means she agreed to the current conditions
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
I really hope you find solace in the idea that Harris and Trump would be equally bad for the world as Trump throws America into the garbage and tries to take the planet with it.
Show threadEmpireInDecayNov 7, 2024
Do you have any idea how much CO2 biden’s proxy wars have dumped into the atmosphere? How many chip manufacturers were given environmental exemptions for chip manufacturing? The actions from Democrats mirror the actions from Republicans. The only difference is that Republicans say all of those things out loud
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
Again, I hope you find solace in the idea that Trump and Harris are exactly the same when things get really awful. I’m sure you’ll feel much better about yourself not voting for her.
Show threadEmpireInDecayNov 7, 2024
I find solace in not allowing the continued rightward march of Democrats. Liberals are 100% to blame for our current conditions for never holding their own people accountable. At their current pace the DNC will be on par with people like McConnell in a few years.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
True. The Democrats will not continue their rightward march now that America will be a one-party fascist dictatorship because they are no longer necessary. Congratulations. You won. I hope your papers are in order when they ask for them.
Show threadIndustryStandardNov 7, 2024
Stoppig the genocide… Who started it?
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
Israel. What’s your point?
Show threadIndustryStandardNov 7, 2024
Cool so Trump won’t be responsible for stopping the genocide either. Everything falls on Israel.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
No shit. That has nothing to do with this discussion.
Show threadIndustryStandardNov 7, 2024
Why did you bring up the genocide if you do not believe the American president has any responsibility for it? Biden has funded 70% of the cost of the genocide.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024

Gosh I don’t know, maybe because a huge number of people decided to allow in a rapist fascist dictator who is going to conduct his own two genocides domestically, thinking their protest vote or their protest abstention would totally teach the Democrats a lesson regarding Israel?

Have you spent the week in a cave?

Show threadIndustryStandardNov 7, 2024
What did you do to stop the genocide?
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
I’ve been working with Jewish Voice for Peace for a year now. What about you?
Show threadIndustryStandardNov 7, 2024
Some demonstrations and sharing articles online.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
Clearly you have been working tirelessly, with laser-focus. I’m sure that and being sure that Trump and Harris are equally bad will give you a lot of comfort when Trump gives two thumbs up as Netanyahu bulldozes Gaza and puts up a bunch of resort hotels.
Show threadjatoneNov 8, 2024

We didn’t allow anything. harris failed to win our votes. direct your ire correctly. I’ve been telling you this for 2 months. you’re still failing at basic reasoning on how voting works.

Palestinians are dead either way unless harris committed to stopping israel. and she wouldn’t. she threw out the 25 electoral points Michigian and Wisconsin represent as a result. She failed to run a campaign on policies that would win her the election.

We don’t owe you dweebs anything. You repeatedly fail to realize that people won’t help you when you don’t help them. and the DNC hasn’t done shit for the working class or the arab community and they just fucking burnt a bridge that’ll likely be impossible to rebuild.

You want peoples support for ukraine, LGBT, etc? learn you need to build connections with others to get support. esp when you’re pet projects are also minority groups.

And a reminder: your jews for peace work is completely ineffectual when it comes to the president/congress supplying arms to israel. most of your work has ridden on the coattails of arab groups pushing their initiatives. So while stopping the settlement funding is a grand idea; by the time you managed to do it the palestinians would have already been dead or gone.

Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024

Yes, I understand that you didn’t vote to stop a genocidal dictator from getting into office because you didn’t like the only alternative.

And that’s why I blame people like you.

And I hope you enjoyed your last ever democratic election.

Show threadLienNoirNov 8, 2024
Yep the Dems are accountable for nothing, but peaple who refused to vote for genociders are accountable for Trump’s action sure. Keep blindly following your party.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024

Maybe there’s plenty of accountability to go around and you deserve some too.

Also, please tell me which party is my party. I would like to know which political party I am registered with, please. With evidence, of course. Unless you’re trolling a moderator.

Show threadLienNoirNov 8, 2024
I am accountable for what ? For what the new president might do (when i clearly didn’t vote for him). You re litteraly criticising peaple for not voting Harris, stop the Whataboutisme. “Unless you’re trolling a moderator” LOL
Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024

You re litteraly criticising peaple for not voting Harris

Exactly.

Now you have one more chance to tell me what political party I am registered with and I expect evidence. Trolling is not allowed here.

The alternative is to admit you don’t actually know and just assumed I was a member of the Democratic party. Then you were just being uncivil, but I will let that go.

Show threadjatoneNov 8, 2024
oh flying squid. you’ll never learn. oh well. here’s to 4 more years of insanity brought to you by yourself and others.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024

What specifically did I do? Please lay it out with evidence.

Or is this more trolling?

Show threadDancingBearNov 8, 2024

Fairly certain the economy was the number one issue for voters that switched parties. I have not seen the numbers on how the genocide affected voting outcomes, but the blame rests squarely on Kamala’s shoulders for running a shitty campaign.

Voters don’t owe the politicians anything.

Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024
Voters owe themselves something. But instead they decided to crash the economy, end democracy and start more genocides. Because Kamala ran a shitty campaign.
Show threadDancingBearNov 9, 2024
This blue maga poo is crazy. Yes it is Kamala’s fault. That might hurt her ego, but so the heck what.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 9, 2024

I love this idea that it’s all one person’s fault. I’m sure you’ll still blame her when Trump’s cops march you into a boxcar.

“It’s not my fault, I didn’t vote for Harris and allowed the U.S. to get taken over by a fascist dictator who is committing genocides. It’s her fault for making me not vote for her because of genocide!” Scream it to the guards, I’m sure they’ll be very sympathetic.

Of course, you could be a cishet Christian man, in which case, enjoy your privilege.

Show threadladNov 9, 2024

in which case, enjoy your privilege

…for now

Show threadFlying SquidNov 9, 2024
I should have added ‘rich.’
Show threadDancingBearNov 9, 2024

I love the idea that the voters owe the politicians anything.

Keep screaming and yelling at the voters while voting for politicians who literally support genocide. Thanks for doing your part and voting for fascist corporate oligarchy lite.

Show threadFlying SquidNov 9, 2024

Please read my post before you reply.

Show threadDancingBearNov 9, 2024
Anyway I refuse to be preached at by blue maga.
Show threadddittyNov 8, 2024

I totally understand that sentiment, being myself someone who voted for Harris as the better candidate, but I think the results show it wasn’t abstaining anti-genocide voters who caused her shortfall. Millions of people who voted blue in 2020 didn’t vote or in many cases actually voted red on Tuesday, way more than the few pro-Palestine abstainers likely amount to. And I doubt many ppl who care about Palestine would’ve switched and voted for Trump.

As much as I’d love a simple, singular group to blame for Tuesday’s horrible result, it’s way too early and multifaceted of an issue to do so imo. Depressingly, I think it’s moreso just uninformed voters who thought that since inflation wasn’t as bad from 2016-2019 that Trump would be better for consumer prices, and they didn’t really think about it any harder than that.

Show threadFlying SquidNov 8, 2024

You misunderstand. I’m blaming everyone who didn’t vote for whatever reason. It was Israel for a large number of them and this story involves that, so I am pointing the finger at them in this case.

But I don’t care why someone didn’t vote. They chose to accept the possibility that they would be helping a fascist, genocidal dictator get into office by doing nothing to oppose him. Whatever reason they had was a bad one.

Show threadSundialNov 7, 2024
So no real change from Biden or Harris then?
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024

Yes, apart from the blank check part and Trump telling Netanyahu to “finish the job” on national TV, no real change at all.

Oh, and also the impending genocides of brown and queer people, but I was told before the election that those weren’t important and/or wouldn’t happen.

Show threadEmpireInDecayNov 7, 2024
Biden and Harris was/is still finishing the job. Trump may have said it out loud, but it’s happening right now
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024

Ah, another new excuse to avoid any responsibility. “It doesn’t matter that I didn’t vote for Harris because it will be just as bad in Gaza either way.”

Anything to help you sleep at night.

Show threadSundialNov 7, 2024
What in the past 13 months has made you believe that Biden is not giving Israel a blank check to what they want and just finish the job?
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
The fact that it hasn’t happened?
Show threadSundialNov 7, 2024

It is happening. Look at what they’re doing in Northern Gaza. Look at the townhalls they have where they openly talk about settling it once they wipe out that entire area. And you think it’s going to stop there? Look at them banning the UNRWA and look at how they now passes law aimed at deporting anyone related to “terrorists”. Look at how they’re now starting to demolish homes in the West Bank too.

It’s fucking happening already. What are you waiting for to say that Biden is supporting it? For Israel to finish the fucking job?

Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
Israel has not been given a blank check from the U.S. It simply hasn’t. I’m not sure why you’re trying to claim otherwise.
Show threadSundialNov 7, 2024
I just gave you the fucking reasons. Why don’t you give me why you think they haven’t?
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
Because congress allocated a specific amount of money for arms sales to Israel. This isn’t a secret.
Show threadSundialNov 7, 2024
What are you even trying to say? That because there’s a number on a sales package that can be renewed on a whim that this means Biden isn’t giving them whatever they want? Keep in mind that the DOJ are sitting on 500 documented cases of Israel using American weapons to commit war crimes. Biden is not fucking stopping them in the slightest. The only difference between them is that Trump just openly says it.
Show threadFlying SquidNov 7, 2024
I don’t think you understand what ‘blank check’ means.
Show threadSundialNov 7, 2024
No I really do. You just don’t want to equate the 2 people on this topic. The genocide is happening as we speak. It’s been happening for a year and everytime Israel needs more money, weapons, or defence systems. Biden is more than happy to oblige. He’s gotten more money from pro-Israel lobbyists than any other Senator in history. Both are being paid to provide unconditional and unlimited support to Israel.
Pro-Israel Recipients

See aggregated party breakdowns and incumbency status of recipients of contributions from Pro-Israel industries/interest groups for every election cycle from 1998 to 2024.

OpenSecrets