mgellis.bsky.social
Husband. Father. Retired professor. Aspiring author. Mean old boomer. Occasional war gamer. Command: Modern Operations scenario writer. Anime, sci-fi, and horror fan. I love the Northwoods. Fond of cats. Am Yisrael Chai!
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Shun them all.
I'm hoping at least some moderate Republicans will be so disgusted by what the GOP has become that they'll enter primary races and try to keep the current group of oath-breaking cowards from getting on the ballots again.
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What do they have against Totoro?
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I'm sorry, but further discussion is clearly pointless.
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I'm sorry, but further discussion is clearly pointless.
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Absolutely. Basically, the 1948 borders, but with Gaza and the West Bank being a Palestinian country, as opposed to being occupied (by Egypt and Jordan in 1948, then by Israel after 1967). If Israelis deserve a homeland, so do Palestinians, and vice versa. It's not either-or, it's both-and.
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Hard to buy the idea that Hamas is not also a threat after the things they've done.
I'd like to see Israel stop their war in Gaza and go back to the '67 borders. But I don't see it happening until the Palestinians stop relying on groups like Hamas for leadership.
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What date would be good to massacre 1,000 Israeli civilians and kidnap 200 others? That was NEVER a good idea. Gaza and West Bank should be independent states, Israel should go back to '67 borders, but can it happen if Hamas remains a threat? Nothing will change until Palestinians get rid of Hamas.
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Well, that's the problem, isn't it? Israel is making war in the same way Hamas does. It's not good, but it's also not unexpected.
I'd like to see Israel return to its 67 borders, Gaza and West Bank become Palestinian states, etc. But at this point, I don't see it happening unless Hamas surrenders.
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If Hamas and similar groups limited their attacks to military targets, it would be easier to justify their actions.
Israel has been wrong and stupid about settlements in the West Bank, the blockade, etc. But Oct. 7 was NOT the way to get them to change their minds.
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If Hamas and similar groups limited their attacks to military targets, it would be easier to justify their actions.
Israel has been wrong and stupid about settlements in the West Bank, the blockade, etc. But Oct. 7 was NOT the way to get them to change their minds.
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No, I'm just keeping in mind that Iran has sponsored groups like Hamas and Hezbollah for decades. I personally don't know if Iran has limits to what they would let their proxies do, and I don't know if Israel was right to attack this time, but I also understand why they don't trust Iran.
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I think half-a-dozen Iranian nuclear weapons, even simple fission weapons, placed in the middle of cities like Tel Aviv, would make for a pretty substantial second Holocaust. Can you be sure Iran wouldn't do this, especially if they could use a proxy like Hamas?
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Pretty much. Much more complicated, but I think a lot of Israelis would go for a two-state solution if Palestinians would agree to a compromise (e.g., 1967 borders). But a lot of other Israelis are so angry about decades of terrorism they're no longer willing to give the Palestinians a chance.
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Two separate issues. Iran threatens Israel and Israel is (not unreasonably) concerned Iran may build and use nukes. After horrific Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas, Israel wants to eliminate them once and for all, but Netanyahu has been so brutal in Gaza he's made Israel look like the villains.
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Sadly, I doubt this will do much good. Israel SHOULD stop its war, lift its blockade, and return to its '67 borders, leaving Gaza and the West Bank independent states. But this won't happen while Hamas remains a threat. Maybe protesters should urge Palestinians to do something about Hamas?
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Protests probably need to be organized in every state capital. Let Republicans all over understand these policies are not just wrong, but deeply unpopular. Protests are a "promise" to politicians that people will vote them out if they don't improve things. Let them hear that promise loud and clear.
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I don't think any reasonable person doubts her courage or her integrity. I fear it won't do any good. Israel SHOULD return to its '67 borders, lift its blockade, move its settlers out of the West Bank, etc., but can this even start to happen while groups like Hamas control Gaza?
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I wonder if this would be the point when military officers decide to arrest Trump for issuing illegal orders and violating the Constitution. I suspect some military officers have already considered this option.
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On the bright side, it's good to know that if there was ever a similar disaster, we could manage to save the species as long as we could keep a couple of thousand people alive. Of course, it would be better if we avoided the disaster in the first place.
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Israel certainly needs a new government. I hope Israel can be convinced to go back to the 1948/1967 borders, and Gaza and the West Bank will become independent Palestinian states, but it will take a lot of work and time.
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It's the only peace you're likely to get. If the Palestinians deserve a homeland, so do the Israelis. You can't pretend one is just unless both are. Personally, I'd like to see Israel go back to the 1948/1967 borders, but it will take a LOT of work and time before that happens.
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Oh, I agree. But the Palestinians lost their war back in '48. They had a chance to turn the territories occupied by Egypt and Jordan into a country, but they focused on trying to destroy Israel. Israel hasn't helped the situation, but at this point the only chance for peace is if Hamas surrenders.
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Sadly, this will change nothing. People don't understand how October 7 changed Israel's mindset. They no longer believe Hamas will ever work towards a peaceful two-state solution. The only way to stop the killing is for Hamas to surrender unconditionally and return all hostages.
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Imagine how many other dwarf planets might be in similar orbits, but too far away to spot right now. Dozens? Hundreds?
Minor gripe w. article...700 km. diameter but "a mass comparable to that of Earth’s moon." Really? What's it made out of? Pure osmium?
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Not sure. I've got a Dell G7 laptop with 16 GB of RAM and an RTX 2070 graphics card. This scenario does slow it down a bit, but it is still playable.
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No argument, senator, but what actions can people take? Organize call-ins to pressure GOP reps with sheer numbers? Identify and support moderate GOP candidates who can be used to primary current GOP reps off the ballot in 2026? What do you recommend?
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You seem to have found some very important research questions to explore. I also see there may be some heavy lifting involved, so be careful not to injure yourself. Good luck with the project.
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Final version (for the time being, at least) uploaded to the Matrix forums earlier today.
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A disturbing thought...perhaps the best way to fight someone like Trump is to get other oligarchs angry with him. It's easier for mere mortals like ourselves to get another titan to destroy a titan for us than to try to do it ourselves. 🙂
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Among other issues, the number of foreign investors--who should also be investigated--is a huge red flag. This by itself might warrant impeachment. Why are Democrats in Congress not screaming about this? And why does the GOP not stand up to Trump? And why do Americans let them get away with this?
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