This article does not impress me as helpful. It sounds like “there are no real similarities between 10/7 and 9/11 but I’m going to list all the things I think we did wrong and then offer no possible solutions while I am at it.” I believe we just gifted Iran with a ton of money. Well, then we are culpable just as the decision to back away from strict regulation of Iran’s nuclear aims also makes us culpable. How about addressing that issue and expressing some genuine angst regarding what happened on 10/7? Americans and Israeli citizens are not as naive as this article suggests. Let’s go over this again: Israel’s enemies want to totally destroy her. Israel is surrounded by enemies. And, the enemies not only want to destroy the state of Israel, but incite hatred of Jews all over the world. And that hatred is growing, getting bolder and out in the open, and is now celebrated as a good thing in cities all over the world. This is a humanitarian and moral crisis the likes of which my generation and any younger than us have ever seen. While Israel works out their own response to the horrors of 10/7, we would do well here in America to take a genuine moral inventory. Where are we turning a blind eye to prejudice? Where are good people remaining silent as “little” evils grow ever larger? I’m not sure why Bari & friends decided to share this piece. It certainly does not have me rushing out to subscribe to The Atlantic.
I don't think the response of the United States to 9/11 was in any way ineffective. Hasn't anyone noticed that Islamic caliphatism has completely disappeared as a predicate for terrorism? Or imagined how the world would look if Sadam Hussein remained in power?
The real source for regret is the withdrawal - the refusal of Barack Obama to react to the promise of the Arab Spring, the abandonment of Afghanistan by American isolationists (Trump and Biden both).
George Packer remains the grandmaster of thinking within the box.
"After Saturday it’s clear that two things, apparent contradictions, have to be accepted at the same time: a group that seeks Israel’s destruction must be destroyed, and Israel’s cruel treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories only helps that group’s cause."
German Nazis didn't all kill Jews, but we hate the Nazis because they all supported it. If Hamas is the SS and the guards at concentration camps, then civilian Palestinians are the civilian Nazis supporting them. I don't want civilians killed, but the Palestinians are an evil people and anyone that doesn't recognize this is fooling themselves.
- 'Don’t poison your national unity, as Bush did ours'. At the very least that was a team effort which included Democrats and a contemptible MSM. Laying this all at the feet of GWB - as if it were a policy goal - is a tell for the author's biases.
- 'Don’t squander your moment of global legitimacy, or assume that the world’s support will last a day longer if news emerges of mass civilian deaths in Gaza, or believe that its loss wouldn’t matter.' There's truth to this. However, that is in part due to a contemptible MSM which won't present the situation fairly. Israel needs to keep doing what it can to minimize civilian deaths even it those efforts aren't reported fairly, and in spite of the efforts of Hezbollah to increase the deaths of their own civilians for propaganda - which won't be reported widely.
- 'Don’t storm into Gaza without a plan for afterward.' Ding ding ding! Here's where the author nails it. In listening to Generals and boots on the ground enlisted folk, our biggest issue in Afghanistan was no exit strategy. Have a goal. Execute it. Get out. Don't go in ambiguously and wander aimlessly into 20 years of nation state building.
I tried to look up the article you posted and could only read a few lines without subscripting. That said I can only state what I had read several years ago. Do publications change? Maybe. The articles I had read turned me off as another government paid propaganda tool as the rest of the MSM and social media does. Not anti governmental but not when I see the state we are in "not this government!". They have failed to be trustworthy. Started a little with Bush but went full blown with Obummer and the takeover by of the media. And we suffered 8 years with this semi communist president and went totally downhill with the present one. The situation we are in now is nothing more than government by leftist, run by a puppet master and the corrupt government.
The Palestinians issues are not and should not be the responsibility of Israel alone. All the regional people and countries need to come up with enough space for both Palestine and Israel to exist and have their own countries.
Another lesson I hope becomes clear is that technology is NOT the solution to everything and if you rely on it to the exclusion of simply having people watching, infiltrating terrorist groups for intelligence, etc. you do so at your own peril. It became clear very early when Hamas simply destroyed Israel's communications ability and just bulldozed through a high tech fence.
Tech companies oversell the ability of their products. Things like A.I. and face recognition and court software that recommends sentencing all have serious flaws. A.I. just makes things up randomly for reasons no one yet understands. Face recognition misidentifies people and is also very easy to fool (and can be completely avoided simply by wearing a t-shirt that confuses the tech: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/facial-recognition-t-shirt-block). Court sentencing software is no replacement for D.A's, judges and even criminal law attorneys representing defendants. Even Israel's amazing "Iron Dome" defense technology is only 90% effective.
Eyes on the ground and people who know how to analyze and understand data are needed more than ever and can't just be replaced by technology.
The position of the left and those supporting terrorists and murderers are that the terrorists can attack military and kill civilians at will but one can only respond against the attackers without collateral loss of life. No, a doctor cannot operate on a cancer with constraints of only take out the cancer cells and not risk harming a good cell. The cancer has to be removed to save the life but in the process other cells, tissue and trauma to the body occurs. The cancer Hamas must be removed or the body of Israel and other countries will be lost.
Israel must occupy Gaza and rebuild it. Hamas has turned Gaza into hell, absolute misery. Israel has to commit for the long term, creating a functioning economy, establishing acceptable public safety, show the population that they can live decent lives. Give them something to live for instead of killing. Give them hope for their children instead of hatred and hopelessness. Israel can do this if its willing, with funding and economic development support from the US and other countries. Build a real economy with real businesses and real jobs. Build a decent education system. Decent healthcare. Humanitarian emergency aid is needed now, as soon as the fighting ends. But thats not a long term solution. Building a real economy has to start immediately. Manage Gaza like its Germany in the summer of 1945. Gaza needs an Israeli led Marshall Plan.
The US and its committed allies must find a solution to ending the Islamic regime in Iran. Its well known that most of the Iranian people despise the regime and want to live in freedom. We need ro make a major political and social investment in regime change. It may be necessary to launch powerful military and cyber attacks on Iran's military assets to weaken the regime. That would of course be very dangerous. But as long as the regime is in power, there will be no hope for peace and the suffering will continue in Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. And in Israel.
Biden's words mean little to all but the most credulous. It was Obama/Biden/Kerry that sent a planeload of cash, actual cash, to the state sponsor of terrorism i.e. Iran. Cash is the preferred means of exchange for terrorists/organized crime in the black market. One thing that Israel might learn from post 9/11, don't tell lies to your people. Bush lied. Biden/Blinken are gaslighting about Iran's involvement, for whatever reasons, and in the process, Biden is giving Iran plausible denial of its involvement. That's not having Israel's back.
Total garbagr. The message is,: Do not unnecessarily kill civilians. But, finish the job.
Those who hate Israel will falsely blame them for all civilian casualties no matter that Hamas fights from civilian areas. So, Israel should finish this job.
Golda Meir said it beautifully: I prefer your condemnation to your condolences.
This article does not impress me as helpful. It sounds like “there are no real similarities between 10/7 and 9/11 but I’m going to list all the things I think we did wrong and then offer no possible solutions while I am at it.” I believe we just gifted Iran with a ton of money. Well, then we are culpable just as the decision to back away from strict regulation of Iran’s nuclear aims also makes us culpable. How about addressing that issue and expressing some genuine angst regarding what happened on 10/7? Americans and Israeli citizens are not as naive as this article suggests. Let’s go over this again: Israel’s enemies want to totally destroy her. Israel is surrounded by enemies. And, the enemies not only want to destroy the state of Israel, but incite hatred of Jews all over the world. And that hatred is growing, getting bolder and out in the open, and is now celebrated as a good thing in cities all over the world. This is a humanitarian and moral crisis the likes of which my generation and any younger than us have ever seen. While Israel works out their own response to the horrors of 10/7, we would do well here in America to take a genuine moral inventory. Where are we turning a blind eye to prejudice? Where are good people remaining silent as “little” evils grow ever larger? I’m not sure why Bari & friends decided to share this piece. It certainly does not have me rushing out to subscribe to The Atlantic.
I don't think the response of the United States to 9/11 was in any way ineffective. Hasn't anyone noticed that Islamic caliphatism has completely disappeared as a predicate for terrorism? Or imagined how the world would look if Sadam Hussein remained in power?
The real source for regret is the withdrawal - the refusal of Barack Obama to react to the promise of the Arab Spring, the abandonment of Afghanistan by American isolationists (Trump and Biden both).
George Packer remains the grandmaster of thinking within the box.
If u start a war and lose it - you may need to prove you wont start up again or you can emigrate elsewhere
Arabs dont seem to get that
The onus is on them
Not israel
"After Saturday it’s clear that two things, apparent contradictions, have to be accepted at the same time: a group that seeks Israel’s destruction must be destroyed, and Israel’s cruel treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories only helps that group’s cause."
German Nazis didn't all kill Jews, but we hate the Nazis because they all supported it. If Hamas is the SS and the guards at concentration camps, then civilian Palestinians are the civilian Nazis supporting them. I don't want civilians killed, but the Palestinians are an evil people and anyone that doesn't recognize this is fooling themselves.
Interesting list of Don'ts.
- 'Don’t poison your national unity, as Bush did ours'. At the very least that was a team effort which included Democrats and a contemptible MSM. Laying this all at the feet of GWB - as if it were a policy goal - is a tell for the author's biases.
- 'Don’t squander your moment of global legitimacy, or assume that the world’s support will last a day longer if news emerges of mass civilian deaths in Gaza, or believe that its loss wouldn’t matter.' There's truth to this. However, that is in part due to a contemptible MSM which won't present the situation fairly. Israel needs to keep doing what it can to minimize civilian deaths even it those efforts aren't reported fairly, and in spite of the efforts of Hezbollah to increase the deaths of their own civilians for propaganda - which won't be reported widely.
- 'Don’t storm into Gaza without a plan for afterward.' Ding ding ding! Here's where the author nails it. In listening to Generals and boots on the ground enlisted folk, our biggest issue in Afghanistan was no exit strategy. Have a goal. Execute it. Get out. Don't go in ambiguously and wander aimlessly into 20 years of nation state building.
Just subscribed and … reading this piece. I don’t like it very much!
Dear Israel,
Ignore this article and any similar opinions.
I tried to look up the article you posted and could only read a few lines without subscripting. That said I can only state what I had read several years ago. Do publications change? Maybe. The articles I had read turned me off as another government paid propaganda tool as the rest of the MSM and social media does. Not anti governmental but not when I see the state we are in "not this government!". They have failed to be trustworthy. Started a little with Bush but went full blown with Obummer and the takeover by of the media. And we suffered 8 years with this semi communist president and went totally downhill with the present one. The situation we are in now is nothing more than government by leftist, run by a puppet master and the corrupt government.
The Palestinians issues are not and should not be the responsibility of Israel alone. All the regional people and countries need to come up with enough space for both Palestine and Israel to exist and have their own countries.
Another lesson I hope becomes clear is that technology is NOT the solution to everything and if you rely on it to the exclusion of simply having people watching, infiltrating terrorist groups for intelligence, etc. you do so at your own peril. It became clear very early when Hamas simply destroyed Israel's communications ability and just bulldozed through a high tech fence.
Tech companies oversell the ability of their products. Things like A.I. and face recognition and court software that recommends sentencing all have serious flaws. A.I. just makes things up randomly for reasons no one yet understands. Face recognition misidentifies people and is also very easy to fool (and can be completely avoided simply by wearing a t-shirt that confuses the tech: https://www.wired.co.uk/article/facial-recognition-t-shirt-block). Court sentencing software is no replacement for D.A's, judges and even criminal law attorneys representing defendants. Even Israel's amazing "Iron Dome" defense technology is only 90% effective.
Eyes on the ground and people who know how to analyze and understand data are needed more than ever and can't just be replaced by technology.
The position of the left and those supporting terrorists and murderers are that the terrorists can attack military and kill civilians at will but one can only respond against the attackers without collateral loss of life. No, a doctor cannot operate on a cancer with constraints of only take out the cancer cells and not risk harming a good cell. The cancer has to be removed to save the life but in the process other cells, tissue and trauma to the body occurs. The cancer Hamas must be removed or the body of Israel and other countries will be lost.
OK, just hoist the black flag over the Watergate…
Israel must occupy Gaza and rebuild it. Hamas has turned Gaza into hell, absolute misery. Israel has to commit for the long term, creating a functioning economy, establishing acceptable public safety, show the population that they can live decent lives. Give them something to live for instead of killing. Give them hope for their children instead of hatred and hopelessness. Israel can do this if its willing, with funding and economic development support from the US and other countries. Build a real economy with real businesses and real jobs. Build a decent education system. Decent healthcare. Humanitarian emergency aid is needed now, as soon as the fighting ends. But thats not a long term solution. Building a real economy has to start immediately. Manage Gaza like its Germany in the summer of 1945. Gaza needs an Israeli led Marshall Plan.
The US and its committed allies must find a solution to ending the Islamic regime in Iran. Its well known that most of the Iranian people despise the regime and want to live in freedom. We need ro make a major political and social investment in regime change. It may be necessary to launch powerful military and cyber attacks on Iran's military assets to weaken the regime. That would of course be very dangerous. But as long as the regime is in power, there will be no hope for peace and the suffering will continue in Syria, Lebanon, the West Bank and Gaza. And in Israel.
I think the comparison should more correctly be to Pearl Harbor, not 9/11.
Biden's words mean little to all but the most credulous. It was Obama/Biden/Kerry that sent a planeload of cash, actual cash, to the state sponsor of terrorism i.e. Iran. Cash is the preferred means of exchange for terrorists/organized crime in the black market. One thing that Israel might learn from post 9/11, don't tell lies to your people. Bush lied. Biden/Blinken are gaslighting about Iran's involvement, for whatever reasons, and in the process, Biden is giving Iran plausible denial of its involvement. That's not having Israel's back.
Total garbagr. The message is,: Do not unnecessarily kill civilians. But, finish the job.
Those who hate Israel will falsely blame them for all civilian casualties no matter that Hamas fights from civilian areas. So, Israel should finish this job.
Golda Meir said it beautifully: I prefer your condemnation to your condolences.