Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Dr. Strangelove]

Laura Loomer is urging Trump supporters in Virginia to vote Democrat simply to embarrass Youngkin. MAGA loves to lose.

[iam416]

Trump Rs never get tired of losing. At least they not “cucks.” They don’t negotiate with Ds — they just do everything they can to make sure Ds don’t have to negotiate at all. And these idiots will somehow still blame “establishment” Rs.

Motherfucking geniuses

[Dr. Strangelove]

It's still very much a longshot but it'll be hysterical if the endgame for Gaetz's lil coup is 10 moderate Rs and the Democrats form a sort of coalition and run the show.

He may even want that. He can cry "uniparty" and "The Swamp screwed us again!" and do what he really came to DC to do: fundraise!

[Mike]

It’s what they deserve at this point.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Dems are just sitting back watching the show...meanwhile the Biden Crime Family is laughing their arses off...

[Whitley]

JB

Part of the reason coverage is lacking is that I don't think there any reporters in Gaza for sure. One of the things that got cut badly when corporations took over newspapers is lot of overseas reporting.

[Mike]

JFC

[THE_WIZARD_]

Yes?

[THE_WIZARD_]

FB_IMG_1697332027835.jpg

[Mike]

We’ve gone beyond full retard. I think we’ve gone plaid.

[foxhopper]

The price of a 30 pack of Hamm's beer went up a dollar in the last week.The world is so fucked....

[lineygoblue]

Do those fools even realize that they cannot say that they are "queer" in "palestine"? They would be killed immediately. The same islamic law that they believe gives them the right to kill Jewish babies, gives them the right to kill homosexuals.

Are they really that stupid?

[THE_WIZARD_]

Yes. That's the point of the cartoon.

[Jeff Buchanan]

In news of the conflict in the ME, what I'm reading is a lot of "messaging" and posturing by the various groups in what is called the "Axis of Resistance" as the IDF prepares for a combined arms, mechanized assault into the Gaza strip. The IDF's stated goal is the "elimination of the leadership of Hamas. They will no longer fight and will not govern in Gaza."

Messaging is coming from Lebanon Hezbollah (LH) that it will open a northern front out of Lebanon and the West Bank if Israel attacks Gaza. I think that's a foregone conclusion. What's going on now as described by ISW in it's latest update are multiple harassing operations carried out by Hamas and LH militants using rockets and small unit raids on IDF positions at both boarders of Gaza and the West Bank. These involve small arms engagements. It's too early in the application of this tactic to assess success or failure. These are probing operations to set conditions for follow-on battles. Where they occur tends to inform Israeli intelligence where and when the AoR will attack in a large scale operation. These also inform AoR intelligence of Israel's capacity to defend it's interests.

I wanted to understand the kind of organizing structures with the capacity to coordinate the war fighting activities of the Axis of Resistance (AoR) against Israel and the IDF. If it exists, it is amorphous and difficult to identify. In past conflicts, Israel has launched militarily overwhelming responses that curtail the fighting capacity of the elements of the AoR. More recently, Netanyahu has mostly ignored acts of violence targeting Israel from inside Gaza (Hamas) and Lebanon/the West Bank (Hezbollah). As well, Netanyahu's pandering to Israel's extremist right wing and not stopping multiple new Israeli settlements has enraged Palestinians. Both approaches probably not a great as we're seeing the results of those policies now. Clearly, Netanyahu's policies toward the Palestinians emboldened the AoR culminating in a massive raid into Israel out of Gaza and elsewhere. Follow-on attacks are planned with the purpose of defeating the IDF in Gaza and the West Bank. The military operation of October 7th apparently involved only Hamas fighters so, C&C of that operation was coming from command centers inside Gaza - from all accounts, the operation was extremely well organized and coordinated by the military wing of Hamas. The degree of coordination and control of further operations of AoR forces inside Israel remains to be seen.

One thing we do know is that the IDF is going to conduct a combined arms, mechanized ground attack into Gaza in the coming days. The AoR will move to defend that strip of land to defeat the IDF in a grueling battle of urban warfare. Hamas is at a distinct advantage defending Gaza. They have had years to build tunnels and defenses that will be used for command centers and to quickly shift combat resources to where they are needed confounding IDF interdiction operations. The AoR will also open a northern front to force the IDF to commit forces there at the expense of the Gaza operation.

Outside of Israel and involving the ME countries that have a stake in not allowing the conflict between Hamas, LH and Israel to spread outside of Israeli territory. It's going to be important to watch the political developments with the Saudi's being key to potentially restraining Iran. How the current government of Lebanon reacts is also important noting the LH lost it's majority in Lebanon's parliament last year signaling discontent with LH's governance by the Lebanese people. The Biden administration's approach to the conflict is also going to be important. A lot of unknown's unpleasantness to look forward to this week.

[Jeff Buchanan]

US SOS, Anthony Blinkin's ME shuttle diplomacy has opened the Rafah Gate to the Sinai. The purpose of the opening is to allow the UN to manage the flow of aid originating in Egypt to Palestinians who have fled northern Gaza to the south. For now, it's a one way passage from the Egyptian side to the Palestinian side. The Israeli's have said they will honor a corridor for evacuation of civilians inside Gaza that allows movement from Gaza's north to Gaza's south. I don't know where this corridor is or in what sort of camps will emerge and where they will be. The corridor is time limited on an IDF time table. Of course, Hamas has told Gaza inhabitants in the north not to leave their homes. Reportedly Hamas fighters have looted Palestinian homes of the citizens they are said to have governed and protected to keep them from gathering what they have and fleeing to the south away from the zone of combat making it harder for Hamas to use their own people as human shields.

I've not seen any good maps depicting potential IDF targets inside Gaza. Obviously, the IDF isn't going to talk about specifics related to their upcoming combat operation. Spokespersons for the IDF said today that the focus for the IDF is going to be the Hamas leadership that is located mostly in and around Gaza city - at the northern most part of the Gaza strip. More disgusting shit from these terrorists that should identify exactly who they are and what their inhumane, immoral goals are. I find it really difficult to stomach news of Palestinian rallies on several US campuses featuring Hamas flags - completely duped. The good thing is that these rallies are getting a lot of push back from campus authorities and administrators. There's no violence. So far the demonstrations on both sides are peaceful.

The Gaza strip is 25 miles long and about 5 miles wide. IOW, focusing on Gaza City presents a tiny front where the impressive combat power of the IDF will be focused. Gaza City is likely to be flattened in the coming days by artillery and air strikes to reduce the need for building to building combat or urban warfare which is very difficult, bloody and usually inconclusive in the end. The flattening of Gaza City is a prelude to a mechanized ground assault with the goal of digging Hamas fighters, who will scamper like the rats they are into them, out of the maze of tunnels they have built. It is hard to imagine Hamas fighters, no matter how committed or skilled they might be, surviving what is about to go down. Hamas is expert at executing asymmetrical warfare with cunning and surprises, so, there is that. They no-shit kicked the crap out of an unprepared IDF a week ago and reports are emerging from captured Hamas documents that planning for the operation had been ongoing for over a year. Accordingly, you can bet Hamas has a plan to defend their positions and I have no doubt that Iran is complicit in that planning. There are already threats emanating from both Iran, it's proxies throughout the region and the US signaling a high likelihood that US forces will be involved at some yet to be understood level. Obviouly diplomats will try to avoid an expanding war where the US and Iran get involved. IMO, its nearly inevitable. The die has been cast by the terrorists.

Mike, you might have predicted likely targets in Iran and pre-emptively striking them may not be far off. We aren't going to know all the preparations the US is making in the ME countries where they have basing rights. There are enough signs though that a buildup of US forces in the ME is already well underway. We'll also find road sign that will identify and clarify the escalation ladder with the US and it's diplomatic allies in the ME likely controlling that and the narrative. Iran will do it's best to control that narrative.