vxbush 9/3/2024 5:32:18 AM

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Wow. Looks like nobody logged into this site all weekend long. I wonder if there's much point in continuing it, then. I mean, I'm really glad everyone has lives and things to do other than being online all the time, but I hate to have any of us spend money to continue this website if there's not much point. 

However, I'm here, so I'll try to find some interesting things to post. 

vxbush 9/3/2024 5:36:46 AM

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Benjamin Netanyahu lays it out: 

"I was asked whether I am not doing enough to the release of hostages. Well, I want to set the record straight. On April 27th, Secretary of State Blinken said that, ‘Israel made an extraordinary, generous offer for a hostage deal.' On May 31st, Israel agreed to a U.S.-backed proposal. Hamas refused. On August 16th, Israel agreed to what the United States defined as a ‘final bridging proposal.’ Hamas refused again. On August 19th, Secretary Blinken said, ‘Israel accepted the U.S. proposal. Now Hamas must do the same.’ On August 28th - that’s five days ago - five days ago - Deputy CIA Director said that ‘Israel shows seriousness in the negotiations. Now Hamas must show the same seriousness.’ I want to ask you something. What has changed in the last five days? What has changed? One thing: these murderers executed six of our hostages. They shot them in the back of the head. That’s what changed! And now after this, we’re asked to show seriousness?! We’re asked to make concessions?! What message does this send Hamas?! It says, kill more hostages. Murder more hostages and you will get more concessions. The pressure internationally must be directed at these killers! At Hamas. Not at Israel. We say ‘yes’. They say ‘no’ all the time but they also murdered these people. And we now we need maximum pressure on Hamas.

"I don't believe that either President Biden or anyone serious about achieving peace and achieving the release would seriously ask Israel, Israel to make these concessions. We’ve already made them. Hamas has to make the concessions. Thank you very much."

vxbush 9/3/2024 5:49:17 AM

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U.S. Seizes Venezuelan Leader Maduro's Plane Citing Violations of U.S. Sanctions

Ummm, why now? Why are they seizing this plane now when the plane was purchased in 2023? I mean, why would it take 16 months to figure out the plane purchase violated the monetary transactions order  with the government of Venezuela? 

Alice in Dairyland 9/3/2024 6:22:40 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 1:  I appreciate the effort you put into this blog every day.  I check in daily, sometimes several times a day, but don't really have anything to add to the conversation.  I would miss it if it were gone.

JCM 9/3/2024 7:15:36 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 2:

Top of news during my community was anti Israeli protests in NYC.

I don’t have words for my contempt of those vile creatures who protested by standing on corpses.

JCM 9/3/2024 7:51:45 AM

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Reply to vxbush in 3:

The election is coming up all about posturing and optics.

vxbush 9/3/2024 8:05:17 AM

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In #4 Alice in Dairyland said: I appreciate the effort you put into this blog every day.  I check in daily, sometimes several times a day, but don't really have anything to add to the conversation.  I would miss it if it were gone.

Thanks. I'm honestly not trying to troll for compliments; I'm just trying to do right by everyone and not dominate the conversation every day. But your appreciation is thankfully noted. 

vxbush 9/3/2024 8:07:09 AM

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In #6 JCM said: The election is coming up all about posturing and optics.

Hasn't that been the case since the dawn of television? Well, I guess not; some have been more focused on optics than anything else, but there have been very rare instances when the (few) leaders were authentic. 

In #5 JCM said: Top of news during my community was anti Israeli protests in NYC. I don’t have words for my contempt of those vile creatures who protested by standing on corpses.

Yeah, they aren't going to see Netanyahu as being truthful no matter what evidence you bring. Again, emotional positions, not logical ones.

buzzsawmonkey 9/3/2024 1:56:34 PM

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I would hate to see this site go away, even though I've been here much more seldom lately.  It is my major contact with people I consider friends, even if I do not even know all their non-screen names, and I would miss them terribly.  

I've been going through a lot of quiet but significant upheavals in my life---the most recent being a computer upgrade I have yet to be comfortable with---and would miss this place immensely if it were not here.  Please, don't take my Rudebridge away just yet.

Meantime, has it occurred to anyone that the Labor Day "general strike" in Israel was likely astroturfed by anti-Israel American financing, whose paymasters knew that a "general strike" on Labor Day would resonate particularly with American voters?

@PBJ3 9/3/2024 2:18:13 PM

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Buzz.....I agree and I would hate to see this site go away, even though I've been here much more seldom lately.  It is my major contact with people I consider friends, even if I do not even know all their non-screen names, and I would miss them terribly.  PBJ

I will have to remember how to post, LOL.

Kosh's Shadow 9/3/2024 5:19:26 PM

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In #8 vxbush said: more focused on optics

Pun intended?

Kosh's Shadow 9/3/2024 5:23:24 PM

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So I voted in the primary election. In Massachusetts, if you are not registered in a party, you can choose the party to vote in primaries. I chose Republican, although the chances of them getting elected are slim, but the Democrats are showing their support for democracy by having all races unopposed.

The only opposed race was the Senate, and of the 3 "Republican" candidates, all have similar statements on the issues - lower taxes, stop illegal immigration, etc. But only one actually supports the Presidential candidate with those positions, so I voted for him.

In the main election, anyone opposing Chief Speaking Bull (Liz Warren, fake Indian) might as well be named Custer.