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lostlogin

Of we could use the opposite of isolationism, something being cut by governments at this time: soft power.

Aid programmes and helping some of the more impoverished countries grow.

Bombing Middle Eastern countries has been tried for about a century. It doesn’t seem to have helped.

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15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers came from Saudi Arabia. When exactly did we bomb them?

And the Saudis are still our bestest buddies. International relations are weird.

Good point. The stated motivations were less direct for sure, but do relate to US foreign policy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motives_for_the_September_11_a...

Let's not be naive. Aid programs are a great idea when practical, and I'm certainly not in favor of indiscriminate bombing. But unfortunately in many countries, including Middle East conflict zones, any foreign aid is just stolen by local armed groups and used to fund terrorist activities. How do you think the leaders of Hamas accumulated billions in foreign bank accounts?

Leaders of Hamas has no bank accounts, AFAIK. Did you mean cryptocurrencies? If so, it's unlikely that these funds are personal savings.

Usually, locals doesn't steal from locals in conflict zones, because their throats, or throats of their families, will be cut by other armed locals in no time.

Invaders and mercenaries often rob or kill locals in many, many cases.

Don't be naive. Leaders of Hamas have control of foreign bank accounts. Probably cryptocurrencies as well now. Those funds are the personal proceeds of theft and embezzlement. They steal aid money directly, or steal supplies and sell them for cash. The locals can't do anything to stop them because Hamas has all of the weapons: there are no other armed locals. Hamas violently suppresses the locals who even try to protest against theft of foreign aid.

https://nypost.com/2023/11/07/news/hamas-leaders-worth-11bn-...

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/palestine-hamas-mu...

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