Israel's response to Hamas attack on October 7th is likely to result in catastrophe for America. The world's population, and the vast majority of the world's governments, find the genocide being inflicted in Gaza to be unacceptable. America's conscientious young adults, not yet infected with ruling class propaganda, have revolted. There is no longer a way to return to the status quo that allowed Israel to dominate Palestine as has been the case since 1947. The world has changed.
Mehdi Hasan has predicted Trumps first 100 days here, all quite believable, as every point has been articulated by Trump or his minions. A second Trump term will result in violence that we have not seen since the Civil War. Trump, always looking for the highest bidder, will accept Israel money as a price to finish the ethnic cleansing, a price Israel will be happy to pay. Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank who cannot be relocated will be wiped off the face of the earth. Opposing voices in America will be silenced. The American Military will be co opted to protect Trump and destroy all resistance, including campus protests. There will be no election for President in 2028, or it will be a Russian type election where there is no opposition allowed. Americans basically understand the horror of another Trump Presidency. Too many like the idea.
The only positive outcome will be that Trump will allow Russia to keep territory gained, and NATO itself will be dissolved or emasculated. The proxy war against Russia will end quickly.
Biden's business as usual response to Israel's response changed everything. He cannot win the Presidency. One million Muslim voters have endured 7 months of genocide. Much of the Jewish vote, seven million voters, immediately turned against him when, in a brief moment of electoral considerations, Biden meekly suggested than one weapons shipment to Israel be delayed, a small drop of water in a large ocean. It was a vain attempt to prevent the slaughter in Rafah. And why should Jews support him, when despite Trump's obvious failings he will without hesitation approve or allow the complete destruction of Gaza and then the West Bank.
A large swath of Democrats oppose genocide, and thus find it morally indefensible to vote for “Genocide Joe”, despite the alternative. Students protesting genocide and being forcefully removed from their homes on campus across the nation will not vote for Biden's muddled, confused leadership. This week, the New York Times poll showed Trump beating Biden in all battleground states except for Wisconsin, some by large margins.
In the tournament to determine the next President, peace candidates are eliminated before reaching the final two contestants. As a result, American voters were often forced to choose between two terrible candidates. This problem became glaring in 2016 (Trump vs Clinton) and 2020 (Trump vs Biden). In 2024, America is faced with an impossible choice. Voters could choose former President Trump, who was unceremoniously booted from power in 2020 by 7 million votes of the people, who rejected the chaos and uncertainty, and were disgusted with his personality traits of a psychopath and demigod. Although facing 91 felony indictments, Trump has not been charged with the financial crimes committed while President. And he is currently leading Biden in the polls.
President Biden is a decent person who generally does the right thing for the country, but he is a product of the Cold War. Violence is his weapon of choice. The trajectory of his presidency and the Empire itself was forever changed on October 7, 2023. On that day, Palestinian resistance known as Hamas attempted a jail break of sorts, knowing full well the violence that would be unleashed upon them, but having no other choice but to live under Israel's oppression indefinitely. Biden was not up to the challenge.
And so catastrophe is upon us in the form of the next election. Americans are exhausted with the trajectory of Empire, which is why Americans voted for Trump in 2016, and is why they will vote for him again. Trump threatens to deport as 15 to 20 million non-while people which is very popular in rural America. He will really weaponize the Justice Department. The Climate crisis will be ignored. Women's choice will be further restricted. Chaos will affect every American in ways never before contemplated.
Regardless of the outcome of the next election, Israel has ostracized itself from the international community, as well as young Americans and anyone who believes that a peaceful world is possible. It is surrounded by enemies, yet still hopes to drag America into a war against Iran. Israel's governments is populated by people wanting war with Iran. America neocons like John Bolton and Lindsey Graham can convince themselves that America-Israel could “win” such a war and achieve a positive outcome for it's people. Muslim governments in the middle east will have difficulty maintaining relations with Israel due to overwhelming support for Palestinian resistance.
The American Empire began to exert itself after the “homeland” was left intact after two World Wars. Analogous to our teenage years, the Empire came of age during the subsequent Cold War. Many leaders envisioned America leading a peaceful world, with American values being the apex of morality and reason. Democracy and capitalism would live or die based on it's own advantages over competing economic models of governance. However, the American war machine had produced men who knew how to subjugate people through violence, men who knew no other way. The National Security State proceeded to kill American hopes and values when it killed President John F Kennedy in 1963, and then his brother Robert F Kennedy, in order to prevent a second President Kennedy. Neither JFK or RFK intended to fight the Vietnam War. Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Medgar Evans, Allard Lowenstein , Walter Reuther, Fred Hampton, Dorthy Kilgallen and others were also killed on the road to Empire. Many artists and musicians were killed because they opposed the developing Empire, including John Lennon and Bob Marley. Advocates for peace were eliminated.
Every Empire in history eventually collapses. The American Empire exerted control over the rest of the world with a combination of moral leadership and economic power, but when those methods failed, the Empire did not hesitate to use violence to achieve it's goals. Leaders throughout the world were killed, including Patrice Lumumba ,Rafael Trujillo , Ngo Dinh Diem, René Schneider, Achmed Sukarno and (likely) Dag Hammarskjöld (Secretary-General of the United Nations ). Governments were overthrown, proxy wars were created. The CIA/ National Security State was out of control. It still is.
The wars, the violence, the assassinations continue to this day. The Ukraine conflict was initiated when the American Empire fomented a coup in Ukraine in 2014, and then withdrew the west from a negotiated solution. It could be ended tomorrow if the Empire would promise not to include Ukraine in NATO, but the Empire refuses to take that simple step. Anthony Blinken confirmed that in this past month. In the middle east, if demonstrations don't become extremely disruptive in the near future, by this time next year Israel will have killed 1.000.000 Gazans. That's one million. The American War machine always has the next conflict lined up, and the need to keep the money flowing, so it has kept China, Russia, North Korea and Iran in the cross-hairs.
No one can accurately predict what the end of Empire will look like. It is safe to say that violence is coming to America. Twenty millions of immigrants cannot be forcefully removed without violence. Racist MAGA people are yearning for a race war, so violence will come in the form of racial conflict. Trump intends to inflict maximum punishment upon his many enemies. Trump will squash any significant protest with the military helping him this time. Chaos looms.
Most American's believe the the economic model of perpetual debt in the service of Empire is unsustainable. The likelihood of an economic collapse is ever present. Recently, the Congress approved aid packages of 95 BILLION dollars for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, Since America taxpayers are not expected to fund these conflicts via increased taxes, the only choice is to create more money. Economists believe this will eventually have consequences beyond the usual inflation and uncertainty. Trump will, as before, spend like a drunken sailor.
Most Americans think that the possibility of nuclear war is unlikely, although the possibility increases every day. The Empire continues to pretend that Ukraine could defeat Russia without a nuclear response. This is a pipe dream. Just as Putin told the world that he would be forced to invade if the Empire insisted that Ukraine join NATO, he has already told the world that nuclear weapons are an necessary option as he does not plan to retreat from territory won in this war. Biden ignores the risk and expects you to ignore it as well. But we should be uneasy.
Baring divine intervention, Donald Trump is poised to destroy America. But even if Biden could defeat him, the destruction of the Palestinian people will continue until Israel has moved surviving Palestinians elsewhere, or killed the rest. Most readers will reject this conclusion. Israel's leaders have made their intentions clear. They intend to take Gaza and the West Bank, by killing or removing Palestinians, or making them permanent refugees. Like America after Vietnam, the young people of America will despair, but will slowly be incorporated into the system by an entrenched system of information control. Thus Tic Tok must be banned! Few American or Israeli elected leaders will stand against genocide, regardless of the electoral outcome.
What will save America? Joe Biden could take control of the situation in Israel. He could order the fighting stopped. He could insist on a two state solution. He could get all hostages and all Palestinian prisoners released. He could propose a plan to rebuild Gaza. The entire world would support him. European countries will be happy to follow his lead.. He could create a lasting solution in the region. But instead, Benjamin Netanyahu is calling the shots, and so Biden must resign.