Always appreciate your perspective! I think that the apology stems from the fact that he quickly realized that sentiment among many progressive Democrats is running against him due to his callous comment about Palestinian civilian casualties. In our lives, people usually put disagreements aside to support the party, but I'm not so sure now. Whether it's the MAGAs on the right, or Progressives on the left, many of these voters, especially younger ones, are sticking to their positions. Which could cost Biden lest he makes amends...
I appreciate your thoughtful reply, Chuck. Here's another example of how Biden gets it and his administration has a plan, one that I think they had all along; this is from Heather Cox Richardson's "Letters From an American" substack today:
"...November 8 address, Blinken outlined the U.S. administration’s policy for the future of Gaza. “[K]ey elements,” he said, are “no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza—not now, not after the war. No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks. No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza. We must also ensure no terrorist threats can emanate from the West Bank.”
This is more evidence of how much Biden understands the situation and the stakes at hand. As far as Biden's initial statement, the only error that I think he made was seeming flippant about the carnage that Palestinians were going to face. I don't think that Biden is flippant about it at all, but I can see how some could take it that way. That said, I also believe that he was correct to raise doubt about Hamas' numbers, because they are prone to lying and never issuing a correction when caught in a lie. Israel on the other hand regularly issues corrections, as they did by revising down the initial number of dead from 1,500 to 1,200. Still a horrendous affront to humanity because of the ways in which the victims were killed. But when Hamas reported that Israel bombed that hospital early in the assault and claimed that 500 people were killed, but then it was found that the parking lot at the hospital, not the hospital, was hit and about 50 people were killed, and further that it was an Hamas missile, not an Israeli missile, did Hamas ever admit the error? Did they ever issue a correction? No, they did not, proving that Biden was correct to doubt their numbers. Frankly, I still doubt the estimates of deaths from Hamas. I'm sure that it's thousands, but I will wait until there's a chance for outside verification before I believe that it's as much as 14000. Maybe it is, hell maybe it's more, but I don't trust Hamas' count. Bottom line; we couldn't have a better President right now for this crisis than the one we have right now. And I think that most people will reflect this when they vote for Biden next year.
I have to respectfully disagree with your stance here, Chuck. Have you noticed the latest news from this Conflict? There has been no fighting for four days now and counting. Many Israeli hostages have been released, with more coming. And Israel has released approximately 3 times as many Palestinian prisoners; again with more coming. Aid truck deliveries have ramped way up, getting desperately needed supplies to Palestinian citizens. And there is at least a faint hope that the pause may hold and develop into an official ceasefire. It may not go that way, but at least now there's a chance. The point to citing all of this is to illustrate that Biden is smarter than most of us. He was strategically correct to literally embrace Nethayahu earlier and to publicly stand with Israel. What people don't understand is statesmanship and diplomacy. Yes, the Biden administration did publicly stand with Israel, but the whole time they were negotiating with Israel, and Arab partner states, to get this pause in the conflict; it worked and it's working. And because it's working it is saving Palestinian civilian lives, and has reunited both Palestinian and Israeli families, which is a great outcome. And I think that Biden deserves a load of credit for this accomplishment, because the actions he took have clearly paid off, despite all the premature, overwrought, and often facile opposition from people who frankly should know better. I further think that despite all of this gnashing of metaphorical teeth over Biden's supposed "bias" towards Israel, that in the election a year from now, most of these same critics will step up and vote for Biden; which will be evidence of their strategic choice, just as Biden made his strategic choices at this moment. Bottom line; I could be wrong, but I'm not concerned that this is going to cost Biden any significant votes next year.
As much as biden's public statements have infuriated me and made me question my future vote, the alternative is worse. And what is said to us does not reveal all the cards being played behind curtains.
The US has always supported israel so how do we expect a sudden u-turn? It's US foreign policy that is horrid, not just one president's statements.
Always appreciate your perspective! I think that the apology stems from the fact that he quickly realized that sentiment among many progressive Democrats is running against him due to his callous comment about Palestinian civilian casualties. In our lives, people usually put disagreements aside to support the party, but I'm not so sure now. Whether it's the MAGAs on the right, or Progressives on the left, many of these voters, especially younger ones, are sticking to their positions. Which could cost Biden lest he makes amends...
I appreciate your thoughtful reply, Chuck. Here's another example of how Biden gets it and his administration has a plan, one that I think they had all along; this is from Heather Cox Richardson's "Letters From an American" substack today:
"...November 8 address, Blinken outlined the U.S. administration’s policy for the future of Gaza. “[K]ey elements,” he said, are “no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza—not now, not after the war. No use of Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks. No reoccupation of Gaza after the conflict ends. No attempt to blockade or besiege Gaza. No reduction in the territory of Gaza. We must also ensure no terrorist threats can emanate from the West Bank.”
This is more evidence of how much Biden understands the situation and the stakes at hand. As far as Biden's initial statement, the only error that I think he made was seeming flippant about the carnage that Palestinians were going to face. I don't think that Biden is flippant about it at all, but I can see how some could take it that way. That said, I also believe that he was correct to raise doubt about Hamas' numbers, because they are prone to lying and never issuing a correction when caught in a lie. Israel on the other hand regularly issues corrections, as they did by revising down the initial number of dead from 1,500 to 1,200. Still a horrendous affront to humanity because of the ways in which the victims were killed. But when Hamas reported that Israel bombed that hospital early in the assault and claimed that 500 people were killed, but then it was found that the parking lot at the hospital, not the hospital, was hit and about 50 people were killed, and further that it was an Hamas missile, not an Israeli missile, did Hamas ever admit the error? Did they ever issue a correction? No, they did not, proving that Biden was correct to doubt their numbers. Frankly, I still doubt the estimates of deaths from Hamas. I'm sure that it's thousands, but I will wait until there's a chance for outside verification before I believe that it's as much as 14000. Maybe it is, hell maybe it's more, but I don't trust Hamas' count. Bottom line; we couldn't have a better President right now for this crisis than the one we have right now. And I think that most people will reflect this when they vote for Biden next year.
If they don't vote for Biden, and the other candidate is Trump, I wonder what that's going to be like for them?
I have to respectfully disagree with your stance here, Chuck. Have you noticed the latest news from this Conflict? There has been no fighting for four days now and counting. Many Israeli hostages have been released, with more coming. And Israel has released approximately 3 times as many Palestinian prisoners; again with more coming. Aid truck deliveries have ramped way up, getting desperately needed supplies to Palestinian citizens. And there is at least a faint hope that the pause may hold and develop into an official ceasefire. It may not go that way, but at least now there's a chance. The point to citing all of this is to illustrate that Biden is smarter than most of us. He was strategically correct to literally embrace Nethayahu earlier and to publicly stand with Israel. What people don't understand is statesmanship and diplomacy. Yes, the Biden administration did publicly stand with Israel, but the whole time they were negotiating with Israel, and Arab partner states, to get this pause in the conflict; it worked and it's working. And because it's working it is saving Palestinian civilian lives, and has reunited both Palestinian and Israeli families, which is a great outcome. And I think that Biden deserves a load of credit for this accomplishment, because the actions he took have clearly paid off, despite all the premature, overwrought, and often facile opposition from people who frankly should know better. I further think that despite all of this gnashing of metaphorical teeth over Biden's supposed "bias" towards Israel, that in the election a year from now, most of these same critics will step up and vote for Biden; which will be evidence of their strategic choice, just as Biden made his strategic choices at this moment. Bottom line; I could be wrong, but I'm not concerned that this is going to cost Biden any significant votes next year.
As much as biden's public statements have infuriated me and made me question my future vote, the alternative is worse. And what is said to us does not reveal all the cards being played behind curtains.
The US has always supported israel so how do we expect a sudden u-turn? It's US foreign policy that is horrid, not just one president's statements.