Joe Biden relies on advisors who view the world through the prism of the West’s civilizing mission to the “lesser breeds” of the earth to formulate his policies towards Israel and the Middle East.
I especially appreciate that—even while flagging the record of Biden’s advisers—Hedges pinned the tail on the donkey by noting how Biden himself has been relentlessly committed to militarism, as well as a documented source of racist disinformation enabling it. I explored the same themes last fall at https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/the-first-casualty-of-war-is-the.
Observations of Biden’s hypocrisy and support for international human rights abuses should trouble Democrats concerned about Trump and the upcoming presidential election. By committing himself to genocide, Biden has given a would be tyrant a massive political attack surface that he will be sure to exploit.
That’s one reason (among many others) to support a candidate less co-opted by the establishment who has actually dedicated his life to fighting power and repudiating the intersecting evils that MLK warned us about. My last piece exploring how Cornel West could help hold Biden accountable focused particularly on race relations: https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/cornel-west-can-force-a-reckoning#details.
Reading this post, however, helped me recognize an opportunity to reprise that analysis as it relates to international relations and genocide Joe’s foreign policy. I’ll save the rest of my thoughts at that intersection for an upcoming post and appreciate both the information and the inspiration that Hedges always offers.
Firstly I am a European living in France and I am disgusted that we have allowed this genocide by keeping silent.
I am one of those thousands of people 'marching' against genocide here in France.
IF the Palestinians are wiped from the map I am DISGUSTED. SAD. Totally against this American genocide.
To my mind every leader should be called to the Criminal Court in the Hague and imprisoned.
As for Joe Biden I know his History and if one person in the US says to me 'vote Blue' they should be also castigated.
Biden (look up his voting record.)
Just like Netanyahu he is and always has been a warmonger.
The liberal elites think he is a saviour (against Trump) who I loathe.
YOU in the US need a Civil War. You didn't vote for years (look it up) you bought anything you wanted/shopped till you dropped and then you blame everything on your Govt.
Because you live 'out of the ZONE wars' you think you are safe.
No you are not safe Amerika with your guns and your white supremacy.
What may be the best example of all of Biden's toadying, banality-of-evil ineffectiveness occurred when he was VP, and the Obama Administration had issued an admonishment (granted, a pretty bland, weasel-worded one) to the Israeli government regarding the continued building of illegal settlements in occupied territories. The very day that VP Biden landed in Israel, several new settlements broke ground. I find it hard to believe that such timing wasn't a deliberate act to let Obama know who was really in charge, and to add a humiliating insult into it.
Wow you covered every base Chris! Too bad the NY Times won't print it, for the world to see the truth, so CNN, MNBC, ABC, CBS can't ignore it. The Traitors of the American Intellectual Class, that pass as experts, in MSM, the David Aaron Millers, the Thomas Freidman's, the the War Hawk Retired Col's and Generals, the Neo Con Zionists, the Supreme Court Originalists, the PNAC oligarchs, the Wall St Bankers, the MICs the Chicken Hawks Biden and Obama, the Reagans and Thatcher's the Niki Haley's and Hillary Clinton's are the Obrien's Orwell warned us about!
And as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Biden sidelined Anita Hill and put Clarence Thomas on the court. I'm not going to vote for Biden. Better, I suppose, to sacrifice the US if it will deflect the clear horror that Biden & Co are concocting for millions in the world.
This essay conveys a remarkable amount of information and much food for thought. Most of us don't have the time or the energy to sort out all of the complexities associated with US Middle East policy. I'm deeply grateful to you for your ongoing efforts.
I can't disagree with a thing in this article. I am convinced that the Palestinians will survive, but not just survive, they, and justice, will prevail.
There must be a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, not with Palestinians suffering under oppressive conditions, but as a place where all live with peace and equality. It is time for Pope Francis to do more than talk. He must go to Gaza and make a stand for peace and freedom.
I purchased a one year subscription so I could thank Chris Hedges and his team for providing superb and vital reporting on the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Very disappointed with Joe Biden and company. You know they talk about terrorism and freedom and security and its just such hypocrisy. The USA are one of the most vicious terrorists on the planet.
Good quality and informative reportage, as we would expect. My only point of disagreement is that it's not entirely incompetence: it only looks that way, if one assumes that these people are well-intentioned. If you assume that their intention is to start wars because that is the easiest way to change society, then their actions make consistent sense.
See
1 General Wesley Clark on Democracy Now in 2003 telling you what wars were coming up;
2 the 2 interviews with Norman Dodd on YouTube, chief investigator on the Rees Committee.
1. American people do not travel unless they are in coaches/delivered to their safe hotels and never speak to the people.
2. How many people in the US can speak another language other than Spanish (LA)
3. Most Amerikans are happy to sit in their armchairs and watch BEGUILLING/crap/reality TEEVEE?
4. Frankly your armchairs are not going to be "safe" any more. You are going to have to get up and fight like the rest of the world who have been murdered in you name.
5. You can still watch your TEEVEE but it won't help you. You will be fed propaganda and just wait for the boots and guns coming to your houses!
When writing and posting about Palestinians and Gaza, I get some flack on my pages from other Democrats. I don't have time to argue with people about Biden. They think we should support our president. I would never have supported Adolf Hitler, Netanyahu, Nixon, Kissinger, or the king of foreign invaders, Aristotle's student, Alexander the Great, who sacked Tyre, in 335 B.C. when the arrogant Lebanese wouldn't permit him to give offerings in Ba'al's temple. I knew that Biden had a history in the U.S. Senate because he was the "go to" guy for Iraq. I had no idea he was trying to get into Iraq for five years before Iraq happened. I voted for him foolishly. I didn't want Trump to get into office. I knew he wouldn't be good for the Middle East, but I didn't think it would blow it up like this? I agree with Shahid Buttar that Hedges did a great job highlighting Biden's illustrious career, committed to militarism, and it is also ironic his son died from cancer because he stood too close to the toxic burn piles in Iraq. Although I have always felt many of these struggles are more class-based, we can no longer say it is a class struggle. Biden is clearly a racist. The way he talks about the Palestinians like they are merely animals in his conversations. He allows this killing and executions by Netanyahu and the IDF on Palestinians citizens, almost 400 doctors, 107 journalists, and 27,000 men, women, and children about half of the dead and murdered are sadly innocent children and infants. Biden allowed the destruction of all of the hospitals, and they are still killing Gazans by the boatload and sharp shooting Palestinians who run after food and sacks of flour. Biden is starving these people to death, and he is stopping goods and food from going in there. He is not really any better than chaotic, racist, white supremacist Trump. What would be the difference? Maybe Trump will imprison people here in the US? That may be something to fear. But Bidens hypocrisy is easy to see. If you don't believe Trump won't go after Biden for these imperfections because actually Trump didn't kill that many people when he was President. I want to find a presidential candidate who is about to dismantle the Military Industrial system, so we can get on with our lives and spend more money taking care of education, feeding our hungry, housing our homeless, and planning our futures. Instead, we are all looking at a grim future and a possible third world war as this killing goes on. He doesn't want to enact the war powers act, so he is allowing Netanyahu while he makes his mambi pambi statements, such as, "I don't trust the Palestinians." statement or saying very little about the human suffering both he and Netanyahu perpetrated by dumping 2,000 bombs on these poor families in Gaza! I am sure he will never win another election for President because I know good moderate Democrats who witnessed this and will never vote for him again. I am sure the 4 million Arab Americans in Michigan will not cast one vote for him, when they saved his ass in the last election. The truth is he doesn't appreciate loyalty either. He is a bigoted war monger, and the only comfort I get now is to know karma takes care of people like this, but that takes a long time.
I personally doubt that there is much of anything truly ideological in any of these characters. Sociopaths have no use for ideology, except as it proves convenient at the moment.
I especially appreciate that—even while flagging the record of Biden’s advisers—Hedges pinned the tail on the donkey by noting how Biden himself has been relentlessly committed to militarism, as well as a documented source of racist disinformation enabling it. I explored the same themes last fall at https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/the-first-casualty-of-war-is-the.
Observations of Biden’s hypocrisy and support for international human rights abuses should trouble Democrats concerned about Trump and the upcoming presidential election. By committing himself to genocide, Biden has given a would be tyrant a massive political attack surface that he will be sure to exploit.
That’s one reason (among many others) to support a candidate less co-opted by the establishment who has actually dedicated his life to fighting power and repudiating the intersecting evils that MLK warned us about. My last piece exploring how Cornel West could help hold Biden accountable focused particularly on race relations: https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/cornel-west-can-force-a-reckoning#details.
Reading this post, however, helped me recognize an opportunity to reprise that analysis as it relates to international relations and genocide Joe’s foreign policy. I’ll save the rest of my thoughts at that intersection for an upcoming post and appreciate both the information and the inspiration that Hedges always offers.
Firstly I am a European living in France and I am disgusted that we have allowed this genocide by keeping silent.
I am one of those thousands of people 'marching' against genocide here in France.
IF the Palestinians are wiped from the map I am DISGUSTED. SAD. Totally against this American genocide.
To my mind every leader should be called to the Criminal Court in the Hague and imprisoned.
As for Joe Biden I know his History and if one person in the US says to me 'vote Blue' they should be also castigated.
Biden (look up his voting record.)
Just like Netanyahu he is and always has been a warmonger.
The liberal elites think he is a saviour (against Trump) who I loathe.
YOU in the US need a Civil War. You didn't vote for years (look it up) you bought anything you wanted/shopped till you dropped and then you blame everything on your Govt.
Because you live 'out of the ZONE wars' you think you are safe.
No you are not safe Amerika with your guns and your white supremacy.
What may be the best example of all of Biden's toadying, banality-of-evil ineffectiveness occurred when he was VP, and the Obama Administration had issued an admonishment (granted, a pretty bland, weasel-worded one) to the Israeli government regarding the continued building of illegal settlements in occupied territories. The very day that VP Biden landed in Israel, several new settlements broke ground. I find it hard to believe that such timing wasn't a deliberate act to let Obama know who was really in charge, and to add a humiliating insult into it.
Thank you Chris Hedges for your analysis and reportage of the past and present.
The Empire of Lies cannot rescue ‘Israel’ from Implosion.
Palestine Will Be Free, It will Live & It will Be Prosperous.
Al-Quds (i.e., Jerusalem) will be Liberated, Inshallah!
American 'leaders' will not be able to stop the inevitable.
The WALL was torn down on October 7. The Old World is Dead.
'Israel' & its Brutal Genocide & Ethnic Cleansing ACCELERATES all this.
Apartheid will never Win!
Wow you covered every base Chris! Too bad the NY Times won't print it, for the world to see the truth, so CNN, MNBC, ABC, CBS can't ignore it. The Traitors of the American Intellectual Class, that pass as experts, in MSM, the David Aaron Millers, the Thomas Freidman's, the the War Hawk Retired Col's and Generals, the Neo Con Zionists, the Supreme Court Originalists, the PNAC oligarchs, the Wall St Bankers, the MICs the Chicken Hawks Biden and Obama, the Reagans and Thatcher's the Niki Haley's and Hillary Clinton's are the Obrien's Orwell warned us about!
And as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Biden sidelined Anita Hill and put Clarence Thomas on the court. I'm not going to vote for Biden. Better, I suppose, to sacrifice the US if it will deflect the clear horror that Biden & Co are concocting for millions in the world.
This essay conveys a remarkable amount of information and much food for thought. Most of us don't have the time or the energy to sort out all of the complexities associated with US Middle East policy. I'm deeply grateful to you for your ongoing efforts.
And we keep electing these war mongers... as if we had a choice🤔
I can't disagree with a thing in this article. I am convinced that the Palestinians will survive, but not just survive, they, and justice, will prevail.
There must be a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, not with Palestinians suffering under oppressive conditions, but as a place where all live with peace and equality. It is time for Pope Francis to do more than talk. He must go to Gaza and make a stand for peace and freedom.
Please sign the petition and share widely.
https://chng.it/CRQ7qw4Gzn
More petitions:
To support the application by South Africa to the ICJ
https://chng.it/5fMpQxbcZW
Codepink:
https://www.codepink.org/cnngaza?utm_campaign=12_15_pali_update_alert_3&utm_medium=email&utm_source=codepink
Ceasefire Now
https://www.change.org/p/sign-and-share-this-urgent-petition-calling-for-a-ceasefirenow-in-gaza-and-israel
These are a few small things we can do. If we can do more, let us do more.
I purchased a one year subscription so I could thank Chris Hedges and his team for providing superb and vital reporting on the Israeli Palestinian conflict. Very disappointed with Joe Biden and company. You know they talk about terrorism and freedom and security and its just such hypocrisy. The USA are one of the most vicious terrorists on the planet.
Can you please have this incredible info on Spotify as a podcast episode?
Good quality and informative reportage, as we would expect. My only point of disagreement is that it's not entirely incompetence: it only looks that way, if one assumes that these people are well-intentioned. If you assume that their intention is to start wars because that is the easiest way to change society, then their actions make consistent sense.
See
1 General Wesley Clark on Democracy Now in 2003 telling you what wars were coming up;
2 the 2 interviews with Norman Dodd on YouTube, chief investigator on the Rees Committee.
3 article "How to Start a War, And Why".
https://open.substack.com/pub/whatdoino/p/how-to-start-a-war-and-why?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=18p2zc
I forgot the first part of this wonderful report.
1. American people do not travel unless they are in coaches/delivered to their safe hotels and never speak to the people.
2. How many people in the US can speak another language other than Spanish (LA)
3. Most Amerikans are happy to sit in their armchairs and watch BEGUILLING/crap/reality TEEVEE?
4. Frankly your armchairs are not going to be "safe" any more. You are going to have to get up and fight like the rest of the world who have been murdered in you name.
5. You can still watch your TEEVEE but it won't help you. You will be fed propaganda and just wait for the boots and guns coming to your houses!
When writing and posting about Palestinians and Gaza, I get some flack on my pages from other Democrats. I don't have time to argue with people about Biden. They think we should support our president. I would never have supported Adolf Hitler, Netanyahu, Nixon, Kissinger, or the king of foreign invaders, Aristotle's student, Alexander the Great, who sacked Tyre, in 335 B.C. when the arrogant Lebanese wouldn't permit him to give offerings in Ba'al's temple. I knew that Biden had a history in the U.S. Senate because he was the "go to" guy for Iraq. I had no idea he was trying to get into Iraq for five years before Iraq happened. I voted for him foolishly. I didn't want Trump to get into office. I knew he wouldn't be good for the Middle East, but I didn't think it would blow it up like this? I agree with Shahid Buttar that Hedges did a great job highlighting Biden's illustrious career, committed to militarism, and it is also ironic his son died from cancer because he stood too close to the toxic burn piles in Iraq. Although I have always felt many of these struggles are more class-based, we can no longer say it is a class struggle. Biden is clearly a racist. The way he talks about the Palestinians like they are merely animals in his conversations. He allows this killing and executions by Netanyahu and the IDF on Palestinians citizens, almost 400 doctors, 107 journalists, and 27,000 men, women, and children about half of the dead and murdered are sadly innocent children and infants. Biden allowed the destruction of all of the hospitals, and they are still killing Gazans by the boatload and sharp shooting Palestinians who run after food and sacks of flour. Biden is starving these people to death, and he is stopping goods and food from going in there. He is not really any better than chaotic, racist, white supremacist Trump. What would be the difference? Maybe Trump will imprison people here in the US? That may be something to fear. But Bidens hypocrisy is easy to see. If you don't believe Trump won't go after Biden for these imperfections because actually Trump didn't kill that many people when he was President. I want to find a presidential candidate who is about to dismantle the Military Industrial system, so we can get on with our lives and spend more money taking care of education, feeding our hungry, housing our homeless, and planning our futures. Instead, we are all looking at a grim future and a possible third world war as this killing goes on. He doesn't want to enact the war powers act, so he is allowing Netanyahu while he makes his mambi pambi statements, such as, "I don't trust the Palestinians." statement or saying very little about the human suffering both he and Netanyahu perpetrated by dumping 2,000 bombs on these poor families in Gaza! I am sure he will never win another election for President because I know good moderate Democrats who witnessed this and will never vote for him again. I am sure the 4 million Arab Americans in Michigan will not cast one vote for him, when they saved his ass in the last election. The truth is he doesn't appreciate loyalty either. He is a bigoted war monger, and the only comfort I get now is to know karma takes care of people like this, but that takes a long time.
I personally doubt that there is much of anything truly ideological in any of these characters. Sociopaths have no use for ideology, except as it proves convenient at the moment.
They rely on brute force because they can.