Israeli Setbacks

On the road to Masada

As you can see from this video, things are not going exactly smoothly for Israel, given its recent losses due to the Iranian missile strike, the impact of the Houthis de facto blockade of the Red Sea on its faltering economy, and constant strikes by Hezbollah and the Axis Of Resistance on northern Israel and the Port of Haifa which handles most of Israel's maritime traffic.

Israel's invasion of Lebanon looks a lot like the 2006 debacle--except likely much worse for Israel. As the saying goes, Hezbollah hasn't begun to fight, and even Israeli elite units are suffering.

Israeli casualties are just a fraction of those in Gaza and Lebanon of course— but the Israelis are not used to taking casualties and one must also keep in mind that Israelis lies constantly about damage and casualties-- just as they do about everything else.The Iranian strike was a good example.

If the Israelis say that four of its soldiers were killed and 60 wounded you can be sure that the final count for KIA will be much higher.

Right now, the IDF has really not penetrated very far in southern Lebanon wherethe hilly and mountainous terrain favors the defenders. Israelis complain their advance is slowed by the UN peacekeeping force -- which it has attacked in defiance of international law and the United Nations--and with the tacit consent of the United States. So much for rules-based order.

As usual, when things are not going their way the Israelis carry out terror attacks on innocent civilians.

The mayor of one of the largest cities in southern Lebanon has been killed in an Israeli airstrike that hit the city’s municipal headquarters during a meeting to coordinate aid deliveries to residents and those displaced by war. The Guardian in an unguarded moment of journalistic honesty..

The attack on Iran has yet to come. It is easier said than done.

If the attack uses aircraft, they would have to overfly Arab airspace and Iran has stated that permission to do that would constitute complicity in the strike. In other words, Iran would feel free to strike American bases in those countries-- strikes which would likely destabilize public support for their governments— given the enthusiasm of the Arab Street for the Palestinian cause – and their hatred of the Israelis.

Not only would Israeli strike aircraft have to overfly Arab airspace, they would need refueling using US tanker aircraft which would then become targets for Iranian action-- with their bases highly vulnerable.

Everyone assumes strike with aircraft— but the Israelis could very well try something different— like a drone attack on the Supreme Commander an attack using proxy forces inside the country, or an attack using ballistic missiles-- all of which the Iranians must be preparing for.

However, I think any Israeli attack is unlikely until after the BRICS Summit. I am sure the Americans don't want an attack during the BRICS Summit since the Russians would use that to strengthen their argument that

a. The Americans cannot be trusted

b, The dollar has to be ditched, except maybe for personal consumption.

Russia would quickly implement a defense alliance with Iran just as it has with North Korea..

That would mean an attack after BRICS.

Still, the Americans would not take kindly to an attack just before the election-- since they don't know how it would affect the results— which increasingly favor Trump. For the Israelis, as for Putin, Trump is unpredictable – a wildcard..

A weak attack on Iran would make Israel look weak—a failed attack would be worse.

That goes against their militant culture with this assumption of superiority.

A strong attack invites destruction of critical infrastructure – gas and oil storage, the electrical grid, military airfields, port facilities and the like – and for the first time civilian casualties.

In the meantime, Israel can rely on compliant Western MSM, which it infiltrated long ago, as Alan McLeod details for Mintpress.

No, don’t bother with Axios. The MSM is a dirty river. As WaPo says, “Democracy dies in darkness’… Which means that the West doesn’t have any kind of “democracy”. It will be very, very dark winter.

The failure of the MSM is the failure of the West. A few more hurricanes and maybe people will understand.

What will Israel do? It has traditions. Repeat after me. MASADA!

As for the Americans, well, they just bombed the Houthis with B2 Stealth bombers and 30,000 lb bunker busters — a bit of overkill to demonstrate what they can do against an impoverished country, with minimal air defenses.

They might not be so successful against Iran, who have the means to fight back.

Contrary to the caption, Iran has lots of options.

As I pointed out the other day, new innovations in detection mean “stealth” aint what it used to be. The US doesn’t have that many B2s (19) that it can afford to lose any. Iran has very competent air defens. Itt had 3000 ballistic missiles a few years ago — likely 5000 today — and the Russians and Chinese in its corner.

Not to mention, the ability to close the Strait of Hormuz and sink the US economy.

Special Article — Rage against the Machine

It’s tentatively titled "Rage, Rage against the Machine".

Proofing continues and I find myself revising parts as I go along.

I am attempting in this article make connections that other people have not and establish both an intellectual and commonsense basis for understanding why Western democracy is not and never has been democracy-- not at least as we were taught it was in junior high school.

The mailing list is come along nicely.

To all those who have contributed coffees thank you so much. It will help in paying Chappy's medical bills.

Click here two by me Chappy and Ichi coffee in support Rage against the Machine!