Actually, it’s called debate.
I’ve taken on board some of the points made.
FR can be a useful sounding board.
Turn off the news is a great suggestion. It’s depressing right now.
I dont like being unpopular and also said I dont mind the tough comments (Lurker called me a gullible fool!)
So you’re a practitioner of kitman
Ok, I’m only part way through this thread, but I don’t see how “turning off the news” still doesn’t leave more sources predicting famine in Gaza, than those who ignore, minimize, or deny the issue.
The history of such situations, when similar, indicates that brutal famines do occur. Even the poster who called you a gullible fool cannot deny this.
Point has been made that aid is getting through already. Clearly SOME is — there is more than plenty of video evidence. But, reliable numbers are hard to get, if we assume the UN are all untrustworthy. So, I would ask the Israelis for documentation, and a fair amount of their info. should be confirmable, or not, by video surveillance both from the ground and aerial. If they need another high altitude drone or two, I’m sure we can come up with something (after all, it would add to Israeli overall surveillance, so they should not complain.)
Then confirm the amount(s) of aid going in vs. the need(s).
If posters cannot back up their claims of enough food, etc., already getting in, then all we have to go on is history, and I already covered that. Famine IS the logical result of this situation.
How should we deal with that? The majority “Old Testament” crowd on FR has surely weighed in. I don’t put too much weight on those opinions because Christ gave us different instructions. However, Christ was also one to often ask biting questions, and of course we are left with many questions unanswered.
Will sending food aid in prolong the conflict? Probably.
Will Hamas steal much of the aid? Surely, without a very serious effort to prevent that, they will. But how on earth would such an effort be conducted, and by who? Surely the US is not an answer - that’d just plunge us into another interminable conflict (much more interminable than Ukraine if Ukraine was handled properly, instead of our [esp. Biden’s] current and consistent show of weakness.)
One must also realize Hamas WANTS dead and / or starved civilian casualties. Especially kids. The more the better. It adds to their propaganda war.
Will aiding the Gazan civilians result in deaths of US personnel? As it stands now, there is a pretty damn good chance, I’d say.
Will sending in humanitarian aid ensure Hamas’ survival? That is the biggest question of all, because such a result is almost surely a ticket to even greater conflict and death in the future. Or is that strife inevitable anyway?