General Discussion
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"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished. Lao Tzu
... But it takes so long, my Lord. George Harrison
My west coast brother contacted me with a question. He is a liberal Democrat who despises the president and the damage he is doing to our country and the world. He asked me if I thought antisemitism is on the rise in the United States, and if so, why? I said yes, and that I think it is a case of a rising tide lifting ignorant and angry boats. And that the jackasses are confident that they have license to talk and act in an obnoxious, sometimes dangerous manner.
There are definitely distinctions between recognizing that Netanyahu is a psychopathic war criminal, and being either antisemitic or disliking Israel. I think that Netanyahu & fiends are the greatest threat to a secure future for Israel, exactly the same as this president & fiends are the greatest threat to our society. Netantahu and the convicted sex offender/felon are hate manifested as mad men subjecting the world to obscene violence.
Thus, while I know it is important that we, as the Democratic Party, confront antisemitism, it has to be done as part of an evaluation of the extreme violence of Israel and the United States, and taking a firm stance that we are opposed to the violent aggression in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Iran. It is essential that we have a conversation on this complicated issue, both before the mid-terms and the 2028 election.
In the lead-up to the 2024 election, there were some Democrats and even more independents who wanted our candidate to take a firm position opposed to the genocide in Gaza. But they were muted, largely by the candidate's campaign, because even questioning Israel was viewed as high risk. People were discouraged even on the internet from suggesting that Netanyahu's war crimes were an issue in the election. Indeed, at one point, the pre-corpse of necroconservative Dick Cheney were ushered on stage to endorse our ticket.
I will suggest that the sum-total of citizens who were influenced by Cheney's endorsement to vote for our candidate was far, far less than the number of potential voters who could not in good conscience vote in a manner that did not address the genocide of Palestinians. I say that, recognizing that Cheney may have had as many as ten loyal supporters. Others, quite obviously, think the opposite. We still see people who insist that if one did not vote either at all, or for our ticket it equals a vote for the felon. This indicates that they struggled with first grade math problems.
Today, of course, the majority of Americans are opposed to the felon and Netanyahu's war with Iran. This includes being able to connect that war with Netanyahu's policies in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon. It is also significant that both the United States and Israel are more unpopular globally due to the war's economic impact. I am convinced that the felon and Netanyahu pose the greatest threat to our countries and the global community. Again, being opposed to this president is not anti-American. Being opposed to Netanyahu is not anti-Israel. In my opinion, being in favor of Trump is anti-American, and being in favor of Netanyahu is anti-Israel. I recognize that this is merely my opinion, but it seems that more and more people understand this.
If the Democratic Party is to regain a wholesome control of two-thirds of the federal government in the mid-terms and in 2028, we must have an honest discussion, putting all the cards on the table, about the crimes of the felon and Netanyahu. Our relationships within the global community are changing, and not for the better, as a result of the war with Iran. It is interesting to note that our allies were hesitant to disagree with the president in his first term and early in his second.
They recognized him as an unstable bully. But since he attacked Iran, for example, and found himself in deep shit, they refused his demand they help him. The German chancellor correctly noted in public that Iran has humiliated the president. China and Russia quietly watch the president self-destruct, knowing the severe damage he is doing to our country. The changes within the world community are accelerating, and not in our favor. We need to change, if as LBJ said, we are to master that change.
Saoirse9
(3,964 posts)What can we do to help?
betsuni
(29,250 posts)Martin Eden
(15,847 posts)Last edited Sun May 10, 2026, 09:58 AM - Edit history (1)
I am not so sure that Democratic messaging should focus on this complicated issue in the context of winning elections.
It is extremely complicated with no easy solution, which most voters don't grasp very well. Also it does not directly affect them, except with the closing of the Hormuz Strait. THAT has become a major advantage to Democrats as the price of gas goes up and looming shortages of other commodities are likely to have an even greater economic impact.
The US policy of unconditional support for Israel has been essentially unchanged for generations. The atrocities in Gaza were going to hurt the party in the White House among muslim voters and idealistic young Americans. It was bad timing for the Democratic ticket.
Antisemitism in this country is a real problem, though it has often been used as a false accusation for political advantage. AIPAC has influence on US elections. Is there any solution to the I/P conflict which is fair to Palestinians but does not involve cutting off aid to Israel if it does not change its policies?
This is a double-edged sword in US politics, and a distraction from the key issues Democrats must hammer to overcome voter suppression, gerrymandering, and whatever gestapo/ICE actions Mango Mussolini has up his sleeve.
I am not at all happy in approaching the highly moral issue of atrocities in the Middle East as a political calculation for winning elections. My preference is always Do the right thing. In practical terms, this involves getting results. I understand that many voters could not in good conscience vote for Kamala because the Biden administration would not apply real pressure on Netanyahu in Gaza. Did those voters understand the US election is a binary choice, and Trump would be worse for everything they cared about?
I wholeheartedly agree that serious conversations are necessary regarding the horrible conflict that has raged for generations if not millennia, but not as a campaign strategy.
H2O Man,
To be fair, you did not advocate that. My next post will have my thoughts on this complicated issue, aside from US electoral politics.