The United States and Israel are both revelling in inflicting the maximum possible death and suffering on Iran. After the genocide in Gaza, on a far larger field in Iran, those in power in Israel and the USA have a lust to kill and they revel in impunity.

The Epstein files reveal the same dynamic. We live in a society where those who obtain power wish to exercise it in the cruellest possible ways against the most defenceless. It appears to be a feature of late Western capitalist society, where sociopathic tendencies are essential to obtaining power, in a society which rejects altruism and cooperation as concepts and promotes competition, self-love and ruthlessness.

Iran is showing commendable fighting spirit, but as my last article stated, American military power should not be underestimated. They have the ability to destroy Iran from the air, to obliterate the institutions of the state and all of the key civilian infrastructure. Electricity, water, healthcare, education, administration, policing all can be knocked out just as they were systematically in Gaza and – on a scale insufficiently recalled – in Iraq.

Trump is already asking Congress for $50 billion to fund the operation and replenish stocks. The scale of destruction Netanyahu envisages will cost at least half a trillion dollars from the US Treasury. But there is nothing that can stop them.

I witnessed close up over five months the 80 to 100,000 homes destroyed in Lebanon by Israel in the last three years. We have all seen what they did to Gaza. The notion they cannot do this to Iran is simply wrong. It requires a colossal effort of will, a mania for killing, a vast amount of money and the depletion of the US arsenal. But they can do it.

Only political action by the peoples of the West against their leaders can stop it.

  • scarabic@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    I keep thinking back to Trump & JV Dunce lecturing Zelenskyy about how he was carelessly courting world war 3. “You’re playing with world war three!!” Trump yelled at him.

    And then they do this. Just unbelievable.

  • ZiggyTheZygote@lemmy.ca
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    5 hours ago

    If they use most of their weapons on Iran, will it be wise for a nation like China or Russia to attack the US at it’s weakest or will that ultimately lead to absolute nuclear war?

  • stylusmobilus@aussie.zone
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    5 hours ago

    western capitalist society

    The US.

    action by the peoples of the west

    No, US citizens. They’re the only ones who can stop it.

    This is brought about by the citizens of the US failing to do their duty and then Israel directing the US leadership at will through kompromat.

    The US and its people are the probkem, not the whole west.

    • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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      4 hours ago

      No I agree with the article, the west as a whole has been way to complacent and allowed Israel to go way further than should have been permitted, completely without consequences.
      The west has also handled Trump very softly in all his insane lashing out on the whole world.

      • stylusmobilus@aussie.zone
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        3 hours ago

        The fault of this and responsibility for it lies squarely at the feet of US citizens, who elected Trump twice.

        The only country that can stop Israel doing what it’s doing is Israel itself or the US.

        Fuck me can Americans take any responsibility for anything they do?

        • WanderingThoughts@europe.pub
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          1 hour ago

          It’s voters everywhere and the system we live in. Nobody wants to vote for short term pain even if there’s long term advantage, so politicians usually don’t go for that until it’s really urgent. And the rich always dump the pain on the poor, so everybody knows who will feel that pain the most and that doesn’t help voting against Trump even if that hurts trade, jobs and energy costs.

        • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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          3 hours ago

          Yes Israel and USA are responsible. But the west are still partners with them, although the relations have cooled a lot.
          And being associates, we do have a humanitarian responsibility to try to encourage them to stop their atrocies both against Iran and Gaza.

          • stylusmobilus@aussie.zone
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            3 hours ago

            Which extends to our countries not participating and no more.

            The responsibility lies with the US and its citizens. Had they voted in numbers and voted Harris in this time, we wouldn’t be here.

            • Buffalox@lemmy.world
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              3 hours ago

              That’s a classical philosophical question, the good Samaritan is an example of this. And clearly you have a moral obligation to help if you can. But in USA this is often ignored, as sociopathy is considered a form of freedom. and freedom is seen as the ultimate good.
              You are simply wrong by any reasonable moral standard.
              Obviously Israel and USA are the ones that are directly guilty, but that does not exclude the possibility of guilt if you could have helped prevent them from committing atrocities.