Hostage update for Donnie Trump, Liar-, Fraud-, Thief- & Traitor-in-Chief
Is the Thief-in-Chief thing too much?
Donnie Trump is threatening to free the Jan 6 hostages if re-elected. That, in itself should be reason enough to vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.
The people who participated in the worst attack on American democracy since the Civil War were not patriots and those arrested and convicted of those crimes are not hostages. No matter how misguided, they are traitors and criminals, one and all.
Not surprisingly, dozens of Capitol rioters were turned in by childhood friends, family members, colleagues and ex-lovers who watched them storm the Capitol.
In their effort to overturn a lawful election, interfere with a federal proceeding and overthrow our government, Trump's patriots assaulted some 140 police officers, including 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Of the more than 1,200 rioters/insurrectionist arrested, over 700 have pleaded guilty, about 200 of those to felony charges. Almost 200 a-holes have been convicted by a judge or jury.
TV detective, Tony Baretta (Robert Blake) often said, Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. Maybe Trump's mob should've spent more time watching old TV shows and less time watching Fox Angertainment.
They did the crimes and now they're doing the time. They are no more hostages than are any other guests of our judicial system. Nobody is using them as any kind of bargaining chips PERIOD
The innocent victims kidnapped in southern Israel on October 7, 2023 and illegally spirited across the Gazan border into austere prison conditions were and are hostages, bargaining chips used and abused by both sides of the resultant conflict.
Calling those gullible, misinformed miscreants of Trump's cult hostages is outrageous and shameful and an affront to decency.
If only Republicans hadn't lost their ability to feel shame.
Note to Michael L:
I have never advocated for the complete extermination of anyone or anything even remotely close to that. If you think you read that in something I published, I would suggest that you read it again, perhaps with a bit more objectivity.
In the 1987 movie, The Untouchables, Jim Malone (Sean Connery) advised Elliott Ness (Kevin Kostner), They Pull A Knife, You Pull A Gun. He Sends One Of Yours To The Hospital, You Send One Of His To The Morgue.
Human nature demands deterrence be more than tit-for-tat or an eye for an eye. Whether we like it or not, violence requires an asymmetrical response. The bombing of Hiroshima comes to mind, although I'm still not sure how I feel about that episode of history.
Dead Jews are a victory for Hamas, but dead Gazans an even greater victory. Israel's response to last year's attack is exactly what they wanted and casts Israel in a villainous role of which Hamas leaders could only dream.
Sadly, Michael, that is the world in which we live and there isn't anything that either of us can do about it.
If you understand history (from biblical times through the Palestine Mandate of 1918, the Holocaust, Israeli Independence Day and today), the politics and geography of the region, you may believe, as I do, that there is no simple solution in the Middle East, two states or otherwise.
The fact that the distance from the western edge of the West Bank to the Mediterranean is less than what my daughter runs every day should bring the challenge of peace into focus.
In size and population, Israel's neighbors outnumber her by a factor of 100. Jim Malone might say that if they kill one of yours, you kill 100 of theirs. That would make the mathematical solution to October 7, 2023, 120,000 and that's not even taking into account the absolutely heinous nature of that attack.
It's a conundrum, Michael and I don't have the answer, certainly no simplistic answer. In truth, the death of even one innocent on either side is unacceptable.
I never advocated for the extermination of anyone, even though factions across the Middle East have called for and pledged the annihilation of all Israelis.
As I've said before though, when it comes down to you or me, I'm going to choose me every time.
"In the 1987 movie, The Untouchables, Jim Malone (Sean Connery) advised Elliott Ness (Kevin Kostner), They Pull A Knife, You Pull A Gun. He Sends One Of Yours To The Hospital, You Send One Of His To The Morgue."
So, what you call for here is an extremely disproportionate response. So how much is enough for you? 1200 Israelis were killed and 250 kidnapped. So, is 100 to 1 enough (150k Palestinians dead)? 1000 to 1 (1.5M Palestinians dead)? At 3000 to one, you are calling for complete extermination. Again, how much is enough for you?
"... you may believe, as I do, that there is no simple solution in the Middle East, two states or otherwise."
We absolutely agree here.
"In size and population, Israel's neighbors outnumber her by a factor of 100."
7M Israelis ... 700M neighbors? Who are you including here?
"I never advocated for the extermination of anyone, even though factions across the Middle East have called for and pledged the annihilation of all Israelis."
Let's be honest here -- there is no small number of Israelis that have called for to total extermination of the Palestinians. (https://imemc.org/article/21527/)
"As I've said before though, when it comes down to you or me, I'm going to choose me every time."
If a single Palestinian is alive, does it come down to "you or me"?