Hopefully you monitor your comment section and will see this. That said I would greatly appreciate your expert opinion regarding the following Substack article - he enclosed several links which have since left me wondering . . . . . even if you don't respond to his article per se perhaps you could simply elaborate on his theory
...The Israelis are not simply going after Hamas. What the Israelis are doing is they are purposely killing huge numbers of civilians and the evidence for this is overwhelming, and the evidence comes from inside Israel itself. If you look at the statements Israeli leaders are making and if you look at the assessments of the bombing campaign that are coming from inside Israel, and are well done assessments, it's quite clear that this is a classic punishment campaign where the aim is to kill large numbers of civilians. And I believe there is a good amount of evidence to support this; that what the Israelis are interested in doing in the end is ethnically cleansing Gaza.
I believe the Israelis would like to ethnically cleanse Gaza and they would like to ethnically cleanse the West Bank. They'd like to get rid of the Palestinians from those two areas. Very important to understand, Freddy, that if you look at greater Israel - which includes Gaza, the West Bank, and what is generally referred to as green line Israel Israel before 1967 - in those three areas that comprise greater Israel there are approximately 7.3 million Jews and 7.3 million Palestinians. For Israel this is an intolerable situation. You certainly can't have a democracy when you have those kind of numbers because it will soon cease to be a Jewish state.
So what the Israelis would like to do or many Israelis would like to do, certainly many Israelis in the present government, is they'd like to ethnically cleanse Gaza and they'd like to ethnically cleanse the West Bank, and there's all sorts of evidence to support this. So how do you achieve that end? One way to do it is inflict massive punishment on the civilian population, to directly go after the civilian population, and that's what the Israelis are doing. That's not to deny that they're not also going after Hamas, but this is not a military operation that is specifically designed to get Hamas and nothing else....
I think that professor Mearsheimer isn't exactly from the school of realism, but from a school of pragmatism. However i think that pragmatism is different from realism and in some situations might be suboptimal.
What if nazi Germany would have nuclear weapons, would it be pragmatic for nazi Germany? I think it would be pragmatic and highly beheficial for nazi party, but realistically, everyone in the world would need to take every possible action to avoid this, and everyone did, and in my opinion, this is more optimal situation than otherwise.
Forward is to focus on the relationship between moral theory and your theory of the state and international system. The difficulty you face is material facts are contradicting the predictions of your theory this is because your theory is inadequate for it ignores ideology, leaders and leadership. People and peoples are not purely and merely and only constrained by the fear of war and death. When facts and theory do not line up it is theory which must be changed.
As someone who has spent most of their adult life during the unipolar moment, coming across the Realist perspective has been really eye opening and rewarding, because it dignifies all humans more than any other of the -isms that I’m aware of.
I can't get enough of Professor Mearsheimer's geopolitical analyses - whether on the Ukraine/Russia conflict or this appalling situation in the Middle East. His precise, reasoned, measured approach to questions is the epitome of sober, realistic commentary and there is simply no-one else this good. Honestly I don't know what I would do without these interviews. So much misinformation and propaganda everywhere else. I just hope those who hold the reins of power also listen. Thank you, Professor.
In any case, here you go, readers, to "go along with" John's interviews.
On Palestine. On the racist Zionists.
Great stuff:
Israel has been stealing Palestine for more than 100 years. What are the roots of the genocide in Gaza? How did Zionism form? What has Palestinian resistance to the Zionist project looked like throughout history and how has it impacted Palestinian resistance today?
Love listening to Johnny.
Dear John:
Hopefully you monitor your comment section and will see this. That said I would greatly appreciate your expert opinion regarding the following Substack article - he enclosed several links which have since left me wondering . . . . . even if you don't respond to his article per se perhaps you could simply elaborate on his theory
https://johnspritzler.substack.com/p/antisemitism-is-loved-by-both-jewish?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1943022&post_id=139956085&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=n3tj&utm_medium=email
I highlighted some of the points in a Thread on X:
https://x.com/FlyingGus/status/1737844083643777077?s=20
In practice, Israel sees no innocent Palestinians.
From the Spectator TV interview.....
...The Israelis are not simply going after Hamas. What the Israelis are doing is they are purposely killing huge numbers of civilians and the evidence for this is overwhelming, and the evidence comes from inside Israel itself. If you look at the statements Israeli leaders are making and if you look at the assessments of the bombing campaign that are coming from inside Israel, and are well done assessments, it's quite clear that this is a classic punishment campaign where the aim is to kill large numbers of civilians. And I believe there is a good amount of evidence to support this; that what the Israelis are interested in doing in the end is ethnically cleansing Gaza.
I believe the Israelis would like to ethnically cleanse Gaza and they would like to ethnically cleanse the West Bank. They'd like to get rid of the Palestinians from those two areas. Very important to understand, Freddy, that if you look at greater Israel - which includes Gaza, the West Bank, and what is generally referred to as green line Israel Israel before 1967 - in those three areas that comprise greater Israel there are approximately 7.3 million Jews and 7.3 million Palestinians. For Israel this is an intolerable situation. You certainly can't have a democracy when you have those kind of numbers because it will soon cease to be a Jewish state.
So what the Israelis would like to do or many Israelis would like to do, certainly many Israelis in the present government, is they'd like to ethnically cleanse Gaza and they'd like to ethnically cleanse the West Bank, and there's all sorts of evidence to support this. So how do you achieve that end? One way to do it is inflict massive punishment on the civilian population, to directly go after the civilian population, and that's what the Israelis are doing. That's not to deny that they're not also going after Hamas, but this is not a military operation that is specifically designed to get Hamas and nothing else....
I think that professor Mearsheimer isn't exactly from the school of realism, but from a school of pragmatism. However i think that pragmatism is different from realism and in some situations might be suboptimal.
What if nazi Germany would have nuclear weapons, would it be pragmatic for nazi Germany? I think it would be pragmatic and highly beheficial for nazi party, but realistically, everyone in the world would need to take every possible action to avoid this, and everyone did, and in my opinion, this is more optimal situation than otherwise.
Forward is to focus on the relationship between moral theory and your theory of the state and international system. The difficulty you face is material facts are contradicting the predictions of your theory this is because your theory is inadequate for it ignores ideology, leaders and leadership. People and peoples are not purely and merely and only constrained by the fear of war and death. When facts and theory do not line up it is theory which must be changed.
Really enjoying these discussions.
As someone who has spent most of their adult life during the unipolar moment, coming across the Realist perspective has been really eye opening and rewarding, because it dignifies all humans more than any other of the -isms that I’m aware of.
Love all the interviews! Thanks for posting them.
A thorough cerebral workout....thanks, Coach Mearsheimer!
Professor!
It was a superb conversation, John. I have added it to my list.
I can't get enough of Professor Mearsheimer's geopolitical analyses - whether on the Ukraine/Russia conflict or this appalling situation in the Middle East. His precise, reasoned, measured approach to questions is the epitome of sober, realistic commentary and there is simply no-one else this good. Honestly I don't know what I would do without these interviews. So much misinformation and propaganda everywhere else. I just hope those who hold the reins of power also listen. Thank you, Professor.
Yeah, some people call that OVER KILL.
Broken Record?
In any case, here you go, readers, to "go along with" John's interviews.
On Palestine. On the racist Zionists.
Great stuff:
Israel has been stealing Palestine for more than 100 years. What are the roots of the genocide in Gaza? How did Zionism form? What has Palestinian resistance to the Zionist project looked like throughout history and how has it impacted Palestinian resistance today?
+--+
https://www.youtube.com/live/7j2AmxLLNlk?si=_d60t-5i26dYtiS4
I am glad to see you in mainstream media. We need to hear common sense more than ever.
A true scholar.
Whenever I hear you speak, it sounds just pure common sense. I wish that the state department people were more like you.
Ha. The state department want to keep the MIC (Military Industrial Complex) going. It brings in money.