rattlesnake

People have never been so sick.

The media reported at the time that 70% of homes, not buildings, had been destroyed: Israel-Hamas war: 70% of Gaza homes destroyed in fighting, WSJ claims The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that 70% of all Gaza homes and about half of all its buildings have been either damaged or destroyed due to Israeli airstrikes during its war with the Hamas terror organization. The report states that Gaza contained about 439,000 homes. [...] Around the time the report came out, N12 cited an estimate by aid organizations that it would take at least a year after the war to clear the rubble, and it would take approximately seven to ten years to rebuild destroyed houses, with the overall cost of restoring Gaza estimated at $3.5 billion. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-780086

And this type of (often intentional) fallacy does not work anymore.

Interesting testimony. A lot of people have experienced a similar shift in awareness lately.

Famine in northern Gaza is imminent as more than 1 million people face ‘catastrophic’ levels of hunger, new report warns CNN — Famine is imminent in northern Gaza where 70% of the population are already suffering with catastrophic levels of hunger, a UN-backed report said Monday, as the EU’s top diplomat accused Israel of using “starvation as a weapon of war.” The crisis has been described as “entirely man-made” and “preventable” due to Israel’s throttling of aid and widespread destruction of Gaza. [...] Aid delivery by sea and air was only necessary because the “natural” way of delivering aid by land was “artificially closed” by Israel, he added. https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/19/middleeast/famine-northern-gaza-starvation-ipc-report-intl-hnk/index.html

I agree.

CNN interviews Netanhyahu supporter and settler leader Daniella Weiss. The grandmother who wants to lead Israelis back to a Gaza without Palestinians "No Arab, I’m speaking about more than two million Arabs. They will not stay there,” Weiss said. “We Jews will be in Gaza.” [...] A poll in January from The Jewish People Policy Institute found that 26% of Israelis advocate for the reconstruction of the Gush Katif settlements after the war is over. Among supporters of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government, the number jumps to 51% compared to 3% for supporters of the opposition. https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/20/middleeast/israel-gaza-settlers-daniella-weiss/index.html

Okay, well one can only hope the civilians will be spared. Given Netanhyahu's track record and rhetoric, there is reason to be skeptical, unfortunately.

Yet Netanyahu has made it clear that the Rafah offensive will happen no matter what, and that it will take weeks. From this article: "On Wednesday, Netanyahu insisted that the IDF would enter Rafah with or without support from the United States." Also, from four days ago: Blinken: Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal ‘very much possible’ Despite the talks, Netanyahu made it clear he has no plan to back down from the fighting that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, forced survivors into unlivable, cramped conditions in Rafah and elicited accusations of genocide. [...] Netanyahu also reiterated his determination to attack Hamas in Rafah, in southern Gaza, and said that his government approved military plans for such an operation. [...] "This will take several weeks, and it will happen," he said." https://www.jns.org/blinken-israel-hamas-ceasefire-deal-very-much-possible/

“Taboo” is also the word I would use to describe this issue. I know quite a few people who are gradually warming up to the idea that there could be a link between their Covid vaccinations and their (or their acquaintances’) declining health. It takes a while, and they are generally not comfortable talking about it. There are still a few people (though a lot less than before) who call me a conspiracy theorist and misinformation spreader, most of the time I will not even engage as it is pointless and at this point, people have to reach their own conclusions. In any case, we’re in the “uncomfortable silence” phase.

Whatever is going around doesn't seem to be confined to Thailand. I was in France from December to February and lots of people there had exactly the symptoms described. The most striking difference with regular, seasonal colds was the time it lasted for everyone, several weeks. Even my dad, who is usually the type who never gets sick, couldn't completely get rid of it for nearly 2 months. And my brother who is in London told me it was the same there with everybody coughing at the office…

This is indeed an important point, a good tattoo on a good body looks great. And then on the opposite end of the spectrum you have Brittney Griner:

She is French singer Alizée and 20 years separate these two pics, from 20 year-old to still good looking 40 year-old (her music is cr*p).

Sure, everything is subjective. I was not sure whether you meant "score points" from your personal view or more in general.

I have several tattoos. Last time I was in France, there was a guy who gave me a look that said exactly what you express in your last sentence. The mid-level manager type with the obligatory corporate attire. I couldn't help but smile at the guy. I probably make at least twice the money he does. Amusing. And your third sentence works both ways, having tatts keeps these types at bay, the types who judge others on preconceived ideas, which I have never found to be particularly smart.

Gain points in what way?

Yes indeed, the opinion piece Israel Will Defeat Hamas in Rafah, published in the Wall Street Journal on March 14 2024, was written by Netanyahu's top foreign policy advisor Ophir Falk.

As the article says, it's unlikely to go anywhere, but this is still a positive development, this type of exposure is very welcome.

The article she refers to was written by Ophir Falk, Netanyahu's foreign policy advisor.

Please clearly say what you mean by that.

This is debatable to say the least. I don't want to go off-topic but just for context, Daniella Weiss supports Netanyahu, whose policies are in line with her vision: Israeli settlers have high hopes after Netanyahu election win But among ideological settlers who see themselves as pioneers redeeming Biblical heartland promised by God, hopes are already high for budgets, construction and infrastructure to keep their enterprise thriving. "Our expectations are great," said Daniella Weiss, a veteran settler who led the tiny scouting mission. "This government is better for the Jews than it is for the Arabs. That's the name of the game." Weiss described the election results as a revolution. "As a person heading a settlement movement, it's a victory," she said. "I have no doubt there will be acceleration in development of the settlements." https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-settlers-have-high-hopes-after-netanyahu-election-win-2022-11-07/

Israeli settler leader Daniella Weiss, head of the Nahala settlement movement and former mayor of Kedumim, an Israeli settlement located in the West Bank, said that “no Arab will remain in Gaza” after the war and that those “who want to have a quiet life” should migrate to other countries. From another interview: "All of Gaza belongs to the Land of Israel." "We've just seen the Arabs leaving their homes, we have to invade."

This talking point, which contends that neighbouring countries don't want to take in Palestinian refugees because there is something inherently wrong or unlikeable about them, is false. The real reason has been repeatedly stated by a multitude of Arab leaders, representatives and scholars over the past few months. Why Egypt and other Arab countries are unwilling to take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza But Arab countries and many Palestinians also suspect Israel might use this opportunity to force permanent demographic changes to wreck Palestinian demands for statehood in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which was also captured by Israel in 1967. El-Sissi repeated warnings Wednesday that an exodus from Gaza was intended to “eliminate the Palestinian cause … the most important cause of our region.” He argued that if a demilitarized Palestinian state had been created long ago in negotiations, there would not be war now. https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d

There is a recurrent and long-debunked Pro-Zionist talking point which contends that neighbouring countries don't want to take in Palestinian refugees because there is something inherently wrong or unlikeable about them. This is simply false. Why Egypt and other Arab countries are unwilling to take in Palestinian refugees from Gaza But Arab countries and many Palestinians also suspect Israel might use this opportunity to force permanent demographic changes to wreck Palestinian demands for statehood in Gaza, the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which was also captured by Israel in 1967. El-Sissi repeated warnings Wednesday that an exodus from Gaza was intended to “eliminate the Palestinian cause … the most important cause of our region.” He argued that if a demilitarized Palestinian state had been created long ago in negotiations, there would not be war now. https://apnews.com/article/palestinian-jordan-egypt-israel-refugee-502c06d004767d4b64848d878b66bd3d

It has everything to do with the link to the claim wanted by the poster you responded to, considering this is the interview the link provided to back said claim leads to. Watching the whole 15 minutes instead of just reading the headline does give an entirely different tone and meaning though, that is for certain. It is called contextualising.