Valley Of Decision (Left Behind Is A Lie IV, One.)

  [The Mandalorian brings together the entire Mandalorian covert after Carson Teva makes a surprise visit and asks him to help Greef Karga's situation on Nevarro when the New Republic won't lift a finger]

Mando: Now, many of you don't know Greef Karga. And those that do fought against him when you rescued me from his ambush many cycles ago on the streets of Nevarro. Since then, he's had a change of heart and has risked his life to save mine as well as the Foundling in my charge. [Grogu coos] I stand before you to petition an intervention. To help rescue Nevarro before it's too late. I am in no position to ask any more of you. However... However, the enemy that decimated this very covert were Imperials, not Greef Karga's bounty hunters. Greef Karga is now a High Magistrate and has offered me a tract of land on his independent world. Perhaps it is time for us to live in the light once again on a planet where we are welcome. So our culture may flourish and our children can feel what it is to play in the sunlight.

Armorer: Does anyone else wish to speak?

Mando: It's up to them now.

Paz Vizsla: I do. I was there on Nevarro that night. I fought against Greef Karga and his hunters. I saw my brothers and sisters fall at the hands of the Imperial butchers that hunted us in the sewers. I saw many die to save the life of [gestures to Grogu] this one, tiny Foundling. And now we are asked to sacrifice yet again. The question we should be asking ourselves is, "Why? Why should we lay our lives down yet again?" Because we are Mandalorians! I have had my disagreements with this man, but he risked his life to save my son. And Bo-Katan Kryze did not give up on my child's life even when the rest of us did. These two are asking us to take up arms in the name of a brighter future, and I for one will take up arms to fight by their side. [Mandalorians agree] This is the Way!

Mandalorians: This is the Way.

Armorer: This is the Way.

Yesterday, Hamas launched a massive terror attack on Israel, launching over 2200 rockets and infiltrating Israel with around a thousand fighters. Last I heard, 600 Israelis (mostly civilians) had been killed, as had 370 Palestinians. Both sides have a couple thousand wounded, and around a hundred Israelis (including IDF personnel) have been taken hostage by Hamas. Also, Hamas terrorists have committed atrocities, they've abused and raped women and killed children...including 20 or so teenagers that were at some kind of nature event or peace concert or something, who were just minding their own business and not hurting anybody.

Couple things, though:

One; It seems like this operation had to have help, and it looks very much like Hamas got help and some level of political blessing from both Iran and Russia...they've additionally gotten support from Hezbollah, which has bombarded positions in the Golan Heights and northern Israel 

Two; I find it very suspicious indeed that this hits while Republicans have yet again managed to paralyze the US House of Representatives...and the situation RE: "Conservative" politics is worse!

The Russians seem to have been aware that something was going to happen.

And I'll note that the Ukrainians...despite a lack of much help from Israel in their own situation, have taken the time to express solidarity with Israel.

Because of course they have.

Now, whether the Israeli Defense Force or the Mossad fucked up and missed the signs of an impending attack, I can't really say. I don't know.

But I can't help but notice that the Israeli Right has been consumed with the same kind of political fuck fuck power games that have destroyed the American Right and let a few nuts wreck our Congress...and yet again, do so at an oddly crucial time. Seems like it's not an accident though, that when these political movements arise that regard their fellow citizens in a given country as the enemy and not, ya know, the enemies of one's country...shit like this is going to happen because somebody's going to notice and try to take advantage. Whether it's Iran or Putin's Russia or both working with Hamas it's the same either way.

The bored debasement that leads to that kind of political shit doesn't usually survive a major existential crisis...and as bad as COVID-19 was and is, it isn't that. That kind of crisis is simply different from this one. 

It's hard to take the time to make up conspiracy theories when you're getting shot at, yo.

Likely, this is going to be the end of Netanyahu's political career because he's already being blamed for it. It's probably going to physically be the end of Hamas. Israel is not that Badger you want to poke with a stick and that is not a joke. The Israeli Left and the Israeli Right are pulling together and setting aside conflict and protest until the current crisis is dealt with. That shit never happens even in a "normal" conflict over there...because the endless drumbeat of conflict is just a part of life. Like Americans were regarding Afghanistan and Iraq, a lot of people can just tune it out. I'm not saying it's right, it's just what was.

Well, they could before Hamas decided to launch an invasion, anyway. And yes, "Conservatives" that's what an invasion looks like. This was a thousand terrorists, not a bunch of migrant workers looking for jobs that you don't want to do anyway. Get the fuck over yourselves.

Have the Israelis treated the Palestinians badly? Yes, absolutely. Does that excuse mass murder and terrorism? Absolutely not!

But I'm here to tell you, based on what I saw crawling through the Sewer that is Twitter this morning...it's the same fucking people who want to sell out Ukraine to Putin for chips and cheese that are celebrating Hamas attacks on Israeli civilians and spanking the monkey to the idea of more unnecessary death and destruction.

And it's very obviously the same fucking people giving their blessing and support to Hamas murdering Israelis that supported the excesses of the Wagner Group in Russia's attempted genocide of Ukrainians.

I'm also going to note that all the usual Evangelical End Times nuts have not made their appearance, like they usually do when anything happens over there. I find this suspicious as well.

But perhaps they, too, have figured out that Left Behind Is A Lie?

Or perhaps they have found a different Savior, one more to their liking?

This smacks too much of coordinated action, by all the usual Authoritarian players. And, it's like, too many of the usual online shit-talkers are being either just a little too quiet or a little too shit-talky this time. 

And we'd best do something about it. We'd best stand with both Israel and Ukraine, because hey, you know what?? The next time, it just might be our turn. It just might be our asses that are under fire and I say that because there are Americans...mostly on the far-right, though I've seen some far-left people, the usual Tankies, mostly, supporting Hamas in other countries...like in the UK.

Palestinians have every right to be free, but they're not going to get that from Hamas and their vile terrorism.

The Israelis have every right to defend themselves and their country, and also to be free and not have to be anybody else's pawns.

Either you believe in freedom...for all people...or you don't.

Pick a side, because that fight is coming here, too.

War sucks, but sometimes you have to fight. Freedom isn't free.

Слава Україна!

"The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride."

~Volodymyr Zelenskyy, allegedly 25 February 2022, Associated Press
Last Post

Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:

Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.

Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O Lord.

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.


Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision. ~Joel 3:9-14