Early October 2023 Updates on Friday.

 

People are saying that the Israeli ground invasion of Gaza is inevitable. There are many questions about this invasion. Israel bombed the Damascus International Airport. This was done minutes when a plane with Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian was on board. The plane is how heading home to Tehran. Justice should exist. Any hostage should return to their families. Hamas murderers should be held accountable for their actions. Yet, justice is not vengeance. The attacks in Israel were caused by Hamas. Hamas doesn't represent the Palestinian people collectively. Hamas even killed Palestinians who resisted their rule in Gaza. Some people have talking about the Palestinian solidarity protests. I have no problem with them, except when some of the protesters expressed anti-Semitic content (many Palestinians have made it clear to criticize anti-Semitism in those protests too). I don't agree with Israel cutting off food, water, and electricity in Gaza. That has nothing to do with bringing justice to Hamas. That's vengeance. Israel has the right to use self-defense against Hamas but not reckless vengeance. People have the right to protest in support of Israel or in support of Palestine. Democratic rights must exist in the world. People who express solidarity with Palestine or Gaza aren't anti-Semitic. Those who try to justify Hamas attacks against civilian Jewish people in Israel are anti-Semitic.

Simone Biles making history is important. She is now the most decorated gymnast of all time. Biles competed in the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Belgium recently. She took home four gold medals bringing her to a total of 37 medals. Simone Biles is the first woman to perform the Yurchenko Double Pike Vault in Belgium too. Simone Biles performed determination and hard work to achieve magnificent accomplishments. For years, she has overcome so much to be the greatest in her gifts. From touring the world to being a great role model for her generation, Simone Biles has shown a light that shined brightly in the Universe. Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast in human history. She has won more Gymnastics World Championships medals than anyone else.

Some people want corporate money out of politics. We have an oligarchy in society. For example, GOP megadonor Charles Koch transferred more than $5 billion to two secretive nonprofits in his political network. The organizations can use the fortune for lobbying. Koch doesn't have to pay taxes for many of his endeavors in America. We know about airline ticket fees, concert fees, and bank overdraft fees. These charges exist constantly costing Americans billions of dollars a year. The GOP is so extreme to consider Steve Scalise to be the new House Speaker. Scalise is so extreme that he says that he is David Duke without the baggage. Also, he voted to overturn the 2020 election. Also, Hakeem Jeffries can be the new House Speaker with a voting chance. 728 billionaires hold more wealth than half of American households. Scalise has exited the race for the new speaker of the House. The House Speaker's office is now vacant with an uncertain future currently. 

President Biden is right to tell Benjamin Netanyahu that he must operate according to the laws of war. Netanyahu called for Northern Gaza to have a 24-hour evacuation which is impossible given Gaza's population density and logistics. Hospitals in Gaza are now overwhelmed. Biden said that human decency must be promoted. Now, Gaza's only power plant ran out of fuel on Wednesday. It was forced to shut down after Israel cut off supplies. The Israeli military presence is building near the Gaza border. The harsh reality is that if Israel responds in Gaza in a stronger fashion, Israeli and American hostages could be killed in the process. Hamas has been compared to ISIS. Hamas has faced massive condemnation, because Hamas members raped people, cut the heads of babies, and murdered over 1,000 Jewish people in Israel in a few days. The UN called on both sides to respect international humanitarian law. We know that the blockade of the Gaza Strip violates international humanitarian law. I don't agree with Netanyahu's defense minister Yoav Gallant calling Gaza Palestinians "human animals." That language is uncalled for, it's racist, and it's wrong. At the end of the day, only a political and economic solution will solve this problem.

There are memorials of the victims of Stalinism being vandalized in Russia. Joseph Stalin was a counterrevolutionary who murdered many people who opposed his reign of terror. He murdered political dissidents, Trotskyites, and other people who opposed Stalinism. The Vorkuta camps housed many dissidents including members of the socialist Left opposition to Stalinism. Many of them were killed during the Great Terror from 1937 to 1938. We are in the 80th year anniversary of the victory of the Red Army in the Battle of Stalingrad, which was righteous as the Red Army had every right to defeat the Nazis in the Axis Powers. Likewise, Stalin was responsible for the execution of a significant part of the army leadership during the Terror. That played a real role in the loss of the Red Army during the first days after the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany. Stalinism exterminated tons of Bolsheviks. After Stalinism, capitalism was restored in Russia, and many of the Russian bourgeoisie wanted to promote antisemitism against Trotsky. Today, Putin runs Russia, and Putin is clear that he is a far-right nationalist.

By Timothy