The problem, even if we reinstated this, is that this applied to broadcast only. This wouldn’t apply to cable channels. Neither would it apply to Internet groups. Both of those would still be free to spout full blown lies and conspiracy theories dressed up as “news.”

The biggest thing that I can see that needs to be done would be shutting down “news” organizations like FOX News, OAN, and Newsmax. Also, breaking up online movements like Q where blatant misinformation is spread as if it’s proven truth.

Now, HOW you do that without massive first amendment violations, I don’t know. You would also need to be careful how it’s structured because that could easily be used to shut down anyone left of center should a Republicans take the presidency/control Congress.

This feels similar to the Log Cabin Republicans being surprised that the Republican party refused to allow them to be part of an event because they are LGBTQ.

Have you paid attention to the Republicans at all for the last 20 years (at least)? Because if you have, you can’t be surprised when Republicans hate on LGBTQ people or Muslims.

Yes, but the evangelicals need Israel run by Jews because otherwise Jesus won’t return. After Jesus comes back, they think Jesus will toss all Jews into hell. Therefore, they are willing to delay their bigotry when it comes to Israel.

They don’t have a similar need for Palestinians (or others of Arab descent) so the right is fine with killing all those brown people.

Hello fellow hell bound Jew!

One of the (many) insane things is that the evangelical Christians think that there needs to be a large attack on Israel to make Jesus come back. You know what would stop a large attack? Middle East peace!

The evangelicals have been working to prevent any peace in the middle east. Not that the area needs help, but evangelicals have been doing things like supporting the settlers and right wing politicians in Israel to pour gas on the fire.

All because they think them helping to trigger a big attack on Israel will make Jesus come bring them to heaven.

Apparently, one of the requirements is “all the Jews convert to Christianity.” I guess I’m holding off Armageddon by refusing to convert. You’re welcome.

They might have some general points that are decent, but their implementation of those points is horrid at best.

For example, fiscal responsibility. Good general concept. After all, spending $100 when you only have $10 isn’t sustainable. However, the right still tries to spend a huge amount on the military and then gives big tax breaks to the rich under the theory that the rich will eventually let some middle class/poor people have money. Trickle Down Theory has been disproven many times and yet the right keeps going back to it.

To give another one: We need to fix the situation at our southern border. Yes, I agree. Something needs to be done and… Oh, wait. They want to deploy buzzsaw blades, shoot immigrants on sight, and build a giant, expensive wall that won’t do anything but drain money.

You want to really address the issue at the southern border? Expand and reform the immigrant court system. had a good piece about the problems there. If you fix the immigration courts, we could quickly sort through the incoming immigrants, help settle people who qualify for asylum and kick out anyone who shouldn’t be here. But that would result in more immigrants staying here (which we definitely could handle) and Republicans wouldn’t like that because “more brown people!”

And he’ll need 217 votes to win the Speakership position. Will some of the 111 vote for him when it’s Scalise vs Jeffries? Sure, but if 8 Republicans vote against him, he won’t succeed.

I don’t think Israel has “all the agency.” Part of the problem is that, with Hamas in charge, Israel would be trying to negotiate with someone whose stated goal is the complete destruction of Israel.

Suppose that, starting tomorrow, Israel treated the Palestinians perfectly. No military members assaulting innocent Palestinian citizens. No blockades of crucial supplies. Not even guards at checkpoints keeping Palestinians from entering/leaving certain areas.

If Hamas and similar organizations kept up attacks (because they wouldn’t have achieved their goal of wiping out Israel), it would just lead to pressure to restore those measures (despite them being flawed). The more attacks, the more pressure to act as the more likely that the government would crack down again.

It’s tricky because the Palestinians don’t want to stop because they fear the Israelis trampling them and the Israelis don’t want to stop because they fear terrorist attacks. Both fears are valid but it’s resulting in a toxic cycle of violence. It would take both sides cooperating to break this cycle. Sadly, I don’t think the current leaders on either side want to even attempt this.

As the white parent of white children, I agree. If anything, I’d argue that it’s MORE important. Black children will, unfortunately, see plenty of examples of racism in their lives. Meanwhile, it’s easy for white children to not see racism because it doesn’t affect them personally.

It’s like how I was just arguing with a Christian friend of mine. He’s of the opinion that antisemitism is rare to nonexistent in the US. I told him, as a Jew, that it’s prevalent, growing, and scary. He wrote me off as being hysterical because he doesn’t see it. Well, of course he doesn’t see it. He’s not the one being threatened by the Nazis waving swastika flags.

It’s important to know where your blind spots are and pay attention to what’s happening there.

It definitely has shades of the anti-vax idiots that said they’d rather have their child dead of a preventable disease than to have autism. As a parent of a child who has autism, the parent of a neurotypical child, and a person who is autistic, I’m happy that all three of us are alive and well and disease free thanks to vaccines. Even if vaccines caused autism (which they absolutely don’t), I’d rather my child be autistic and alive than not autistic and dead.

Thank you for this. I just wanted to add that Hamas didn’t know the political leanings of those they killed so there can’t even be a “well, they voted for Netenyahu.” I have family in Israel. They all voted against Netenyahu and marched against many of his actions. Luckily, they are all safe, but had they been in that area they would have been killed or taken hostage with everyone else.

This wasn’t an attack against the people who attacked the palestinians. This was an attack against random innocent citizens. It’s possible to both condemn Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and condemn this attack.

This works both ways also. Israelis feel like they are constantly under threat of attack from rockets, bombs, and now raids that kill civilians. This increases support for hard line, right wing politicians who will act swiftly and harshly. Temporary anger over the attack (which, to be clear, is justified), can result in actions that cross the line.

It’s a vicious cycle. Israelis feel attacked and so support right wing politicians who promise them safety. Then the Palestinians are attacked and turn to terrorist groups like Hamas to strike back. Repeat again and again and again. Neither side is willing to back down because they have to get revenge for the latest attack even though this revenge will cause another attack.

One of the problems is that there’s a constant cycle of violence. Palestinians, feeling oppressed by Israel, launch some sort of attack (rockets, firing on civilians, bombs, etc). Innocent people are killed and Israelis react in fear and anger. This pushes right wing Israeli politicians into power which results in bloody responses directed at the Palestinians. Repeat again and again with each side’s attack being justified by the other side’s latest action.

(And, note, I’m not saying “the Palestinians started this” above. I just need SOMEWHERE to start the illustration and recounting the full 100 or so year history of this conflict would be way too long.)

Then, add to the mix, foreign interference. On the Palestinian side is Iran who doesn’t want human rights for Palestinians. No, they just want Israel attacked and Jews killed. So they’ll push for attacks like the recent one even if it will hurt, rather than help, the Palestinian cause.

On the Israeli side are evangelical Christians from the US. They think Jesus will come back if Israel, run by Jews, is attacked. They’ve got the “run by Jews” part and peace would stop an attack that would bring Jesus back. They do things like fund the settlers who take over Palestinian land.

I don’t pretend to know the solution. If I did, I’d be a world class diplomat - something I definitely am not. However, I can both understand why each side does what it does while condemning actions that I think cross the line. The whole thing is a twisted mess and anyone who thinks one side is all good and the other side is all bad is vastly oversimplifying the situation.

If they remove protections for the press, how long until FOX News goes into bankruptcy following a flood of defamation lawsuits? (Plus Newsmax, OAN, and other right wing “news organizations.”)

Removing freedom of the press cuts both ways.

It was gut wrenching.

The other exhibit that hit hard (well, they all did, but this one was notable to me) was the train car. You can walk around it or through it. I walked through and paused in the middle.

The plaque outside had said how many Jews were put in this car. I tried to imagine sticking that many people in the car, but I couldn’t. Then I realized my problem.

I was trying to put PEOPLE in the car.

Even though the “people” I was mentally putting in were imaginary, I was still treating them like people. If I switched to putting that many people shaped objects in the car, it became easy.

It was a huge lesson in the power of dehumanization.

Back in college (which is longer ago than I like), I went to the Holocaust Museum in DC. The most impactful exhibit was called Daniel’s Story. You enter a room and go back in time - into the life of Daniel. He’s a Jewish boy growing up in Germany around when Hitler came to power. Everything looks just fine in Daniel’s house.

Then you go to the next room and time has skipped forward a bit. There are slight changes, but it isn’t anything too bad so you walk on.

In every room, time moves forward slightly and the changes always seem “not too bad.”

Then you get to the final room which is the entrance to a death camp. Suddenly, you realize just how all those “tiny/just fine” changes accumulated. But by now, it’s too late to stop it. You’re at the gates.

Had the Germans launched the full blown Holocaust on Day 1, too many people would have objected. But after a slow burn of tiny steps for reasons that sounded plausible enough to not be widely objected to, dehumanization, and other such tactics, the Nazis created an atmosphere where “kill all the Jews” seemed like a reasonable outcome. At least to most of the general populace who weren’t Jewish. Or LGBTQ. Or political dissidents. Etc.

I’ve even seen some people try claiming that the attack didn’t happen and Israel must have fabricated it. My first thought was, “Really? We’re going to ‘Alex Jones/Sandy Hook’ this?”

You can both want Palestinians to be treated fairly and be against Israeli citizens (among others) being slaughtered. Saying “Hamas was wrong to do this” doesn’t mean you’re saying “Israel is blameless in this situation.”

Sadly, way too many people need there to be a Good Guy Who Never Does Wrong and a Bad Guy Who Never Does Right.

It starts with people like that (or random conspiracy theorists on X and Truth Social). Then, it spreads to people like Trump. Before you know it, FOX News is running special reports about how Hamas is absolutely crossing the southern border.

They’re likely testing this line out to see what kind of traction it gets and, if it’s successful enough, you’ll see more and more right wing talking heads parroting it.

Republicans are also using the attack for blatant political purposes. One of their newest lines is that Hamas are sending troops across the southern US border to join sleeper cells and attack our cities. And, of course, they claim that Biden is just letting these nonexistent Hamas in because Sleepy Joe/Open Borders/Liberals Evil or something.