JCauto

So when you inform the public that an area is about to be bombed and tell them to evacuate because you're attacking a military target embedded in an area of civilian infrastructure and homes, you consider this to be indiscriminate. Is that correct? When you bomb an area that appears to be a civilian hospital or school then your ground operations expose that it was, in fact, a military installation hidden within the civilian infrastructure, is this then still indiscriminate bombing? Or was it actually targeted all along? Even if they targeted it and find it wasn't a military installation, then it's actually not indiscriminate, it's an intelligence failure. Of course, we could call all war an intelligence failure on the part of humans, but that's besides the point. Do you think they're deliberately trying to miss their targets when they start the bombing that they informed the populace about? Or do you think they're deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure to inflict damage and pain? That's also not indiscriminate bombing. Indiscriminate bombing is something like carpet bombing, not targeted at all. Something like firing rockets towards a country without knowing or caring where they land. Something like the air campaign over Germany that had targets but no precision about how to hit them nor care about what happened to the population so they just bombed the crap out of it. So no, I don't see this as indiscriminate bombing. It's targeted and deliberate and aimed at specific military installations, infrastructure, personnel and command and control centers. Does this mean it doesn't cause damage around and elsewhere? No, of course it does, there is no "precision bombing" and there is lots of "collateral damage" but these are all nice language tricks to distract people from the horror of war. Unfortunately, this is about as "clean" as it gets. Hamas deliberately puts their military infrastructure in these places and this is why we say they're using the population as human shields. Contrast what's happening in Gaza with what's happening in Ukraine. Do you think there is more or less indiscriminate bombing in Ukraine? Do you think they're targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine? I think there's more indiscriminate bombing and more targeting. But it's just less dense in terms of population in most of the places where the bombing is happening - until it isn't and then a Ukrainian city is completely leveled and destroyed and the casualties among the population rise. Look forward to your "thoughts" on these points.

You've become unhinged unfortunately. Listen to your own words - I have different views on other topics because they're not about the elimination of all the Palestinians in Gaza...what does that have to do with your views on other topics? How do your views on the current Israel-Hamas conflict affect your understanding of the African National Congress from decades ago? Why does it make you attempt to draw such an absurd parallel? Do you think this is some internet jihad you're engaging in and you'll somehow win us all over by spouting nonsense? And while a few Far Right nutters in the Israeli government have said stuff as they always do, who said Israel is trying to eliminate all the Palestinians in Gaza? While we both agree that we strongly dislike Netanyahu, he said this six days ago "I want to make a few points absolutely clear,” Netanyahu said. “Israel has no intention of permanently occupying Gaza or displacing its civilian population. Israel is fighting Hamas terrorists, not the Palestinian population, and we are doing so in full compliance with international law.” I guess we'll find out about the last part in the Netherlands after a few years. But stop trying to pretend that this isn't exactly what Hamas wanted when they undertook their pogrom on 7 October. Would I like to see the Right in Israel voted out of power and a new government pursue peace? Sure, you mean the Israeli Left like Rabin/Peres? They pursued peace and got an accord before it was rejected and the Palestinian people chose a cynical path forward. How did that go? Why didn't that work? Who walked away from the negotiating table? There are thick books written about this, and I'm not an expert, but it was a genuine attempt at establishing peace and got to a certain point in the mid-90s before it all collapsed because of hardliners on both sides. And as it benefited them, the hardliners have just pushed the conflict further and further as this ensures their ability to either scare the populace into voting them back in (regardless of these people already being convicted of corruption charges) or prevent another vote from ever happening since 2005. Now it's almost impossible for either side to elect peace-seeking leaders. But you would blame this exclusively on the Israelis I suppose. The Palestinians are just innocent children? I do like your solution of locking them all in a room to fight to the death, but it would end with just more on both sides ready and willing to replace them. It's pretty intractable at this point. I don't see how it moves forward with Hamas intact and in power. They've been crystal clear that they have zero interest in peace of any sort, anywhere, with anyone. The Netanyahus of the world are happy to take advantage of this intransigence to push their own fascist visions forward.

I have forgotten the details because it was so long ago, but did the ANC undertake rape and murder operations similar to 7 October? Did their charter call for the elimination of every white South African from the soil? Did they engage in random bombings or rocket attacks on the white civilian population? Maybe they did, but I can't remember that happening. But that's the difference in case you didn't know. This is just a disingenuous comparison, but that's what I have come to expect from you but only it seems on this topic. You have more sensible posts about other things, perhaps you should question why that is the case. I would also call Netanyahu a war criminal so we're in agreement there.

Sorry, the "hostages"? Where did they come from? Were the hostages murdering innocent Palestinian women and children? Or were they the victims of the murderous Hamas terror regime? Simple, to everyone except those supporting murderous terrorists.

Agreed, it's not. Carpet bombing IS indiscriminate. But this ain't that. Any conflict anywhere in the world over the last 20 years should have shown you by now that there's no such thing as precision bombing and there are always casualties in any armed conflict because it is the nature of the awful beast. The death and destruction to the civilian population and infrastructure was a deliberate choice by Hamas, who are pleased especially when people don't seem to understand that this wasn't just an acceptable cost to Hamas but the desired result.

Read the responses, it's easily explained. Trying to be droll and disingenuous isn't very convincing.

LOL. You new to warfare? There's smart bombs, and there's dumb ones. The smart ones are expensive, and they're not the majority of what's dropped in any war for that reason. Have you observed anything in Ukraine? It's such a dumb comment, you'd have to be living in a box to have such a lack of understanding.

First of all, there had been a negotiated ceasefire before Hamas decided to violate it by carrying out a pogrom in a deliberate attempt to provoke the Israelis into retaliation. This succeeded. They knew this would be the result and gleefully ensured it with their appalling rape and violence. They did so while making sure that all their military facilities were surrounded by innocent Palestinians so that their human shields would die and they could parade the dead before the gullible fools who take their words at face value. Tell me about Hamas negotiating position with respect to Israel. You should know it already, it's clearly written in their charter and they repeat it ad infinitum. It can be summed up by "all Israelis dead". "Non-invasive siege" - that's essentially the situation pre-conflict. Didn't work so well for either side. You did write one cogent thing - that you don't have the solution. Neither does anyone else. But it surely isn't one where Hamas is agreeing to peace, giving up the hostages and moving towards development of their land and people instead of a single-minded focus on the destruction of Israel. Should be, but never will until these terrorists are destroyed.

So all it takes is one going astray then it's "indiscriminate"? You are aware that the IDF take steps to try to minimize civilian casualties, correct? But it is war, and there's no way to avoid that completely. Did Hamas try to avoid civilian casualties when they violated the ceasefire and kicked this whole thing off (with the support of Iran and Russia)? Actually it's clear that they deliberately targeted them and avoided any direct conflict with the IDF. No comment about that?

LOL. You're an expert on Thai human rights too! Oh that Liverpool Lou, he knows everything! It's always high comedy when relative newbies come here to do "Thaisplaining" to us. Don't get me wrong, love your schtick about how things work here, if only there were a credible crumb of reality there.

And where is it you find this information about indiscriminate bombing? You are aware most of the hostages are Israeli, correct? You should read something other than Hamas propaganda.

So why then weren't the committee allowed to go and confirm that the poor poor man was indeed getting treatment at the aforementioned hospital and to contrast that treatment with that of the other prisoners? Some reason you deny access to these people?

Much better to pretend to do something than to actually do something serious, that's the Thai way, appearance over substance. What could they do if they were serious Oh, how about informing CP Group that they will be held responsible for any burning where the farmer is growing crops for their purchase? Until those responsible for funding the burning take responsibility for the inevitable outcome of it and provide incentives to their contracted farmers to change their practice, this is just more hot air being added to the already approaching unbearable dry season haze and heat in Chiang Mai.

And the point of strategy documents and committees is...what exactly? Employment for the idle rich and connected? Why is he instructing this committee whom he will ignore and advise subsequent government to ignore to create a "framework"? What's the point?

The first step in ensuring that the rich and powerful's child-criminals are able to avoid any consequences of their actions is to provide the Boys in Brown with the envelopes of encouragement to enable them to do what they do best - deliberately start stuffing things up so that by the time any "trial" comes around, the accused has already flown the coop to posh digs in foreign countries without extradition treaties and the evidence is available to dismiss the charges. Then you gauge public outrage to determine whether you can get away with it at first glance, and if not, then you add more evidence tampering and new witness testimony along with other false information to muddy the waters and extend the time since the offense. If worse comes to worse and the public still care, you simply ignore Interpol notices and the perp rides out the time until statute of limitations expire. You can also just come and face the consequences and spend the time in a luxury hospital custom-designed for your pleasure so you can live as if you were free for a few months until you are "exonerated" or "forgiven". As to the victims, they're dead and justice will be done in the next life according to karmic wheels. There is no mystery to this.

"They're not sending their best."

I could not care less. The extremely rich and powerful do not suffer from a lack of justice or persecution. They are in no way victims like those whom McCarthy went after. Learn your history.

This should be fun! While I of course expect the list to contain the names of many on both the Republican and Democrat side of politics in the USA, I'd just like to state for the record I think each and every one of them should go to jail, Prince or King, Ex-President or current CEO, Democrat or Republican. No political favors, no immunity from prosecution, no plea bargains. Every one in jail.

Because that's the way misogynists think - any woman who has power is a threat to them regardless of their point of view, skills, intelligence or other characteristics. It's indeed sad.

It is, just not in the way you think. When someone with a long record of voting based on conservative principles is cast aside in favor of completely inexperienced culture warrior politicians whose "principles" consist of following whatever whim the leader gets in his scatterbrained head that day, you have today's Republican Party. This is why you have experienced politicians, they understand how to negotiate, compromise and write legislation that can pass both Houses of Congress and become enacted. Recall how Trump and your favorite "new" politicians campaigned on completely ending Obamacare and putting in a better health care bill then couldn't do that even when in control of the House, Senate and Presidency. Sort of like hiring a bunch of novices then wondering why they don't know what they're doing and are so ineffective. Not that I'm complaining, one can't imagine the damage that might be caused by these same people who don't stand for or understand anything.

And this has exactly what to do with the topic? Do you think these planes are filled with immigrants leaving in large numbers?

So the solution to terrorism is to reward the terrorists with international credibility. Got it. Reward terrorist groups for randomly kidnapping non-combatants working in agriculture by giving them an embassy. What could go wrong?

You know it's a really bad one when there is no "the driver fled the scene." at the end.

Indeed, he assumed that you speak and write English and the definition of the words you used are those written in dictionaries and used in normal speech by those who are fluent in English. Your own words are contradictory and were correctly interpreted by the poster.

And still no appreciation to the Israeli government for their trading Palestinian prisoners for Thai hostages. Bit pathetic, really.