As we wait for the other Israeli foot to drop, have you considered, Dear Reader, that the mighty Israeli military machine – which has been sustained for six decades by massive US backing – might’ve fallen into a trap?? Which is gonna create new challenges to US hegemony that’s been eroding during that time?? Mull over this…don’t you think that Hamas knew what Israel’s reaction would be to its brutal invasion of Israel – especially when they took pains to kill civilians and take hostages??
This scenario has played out so many times since Gaza and the West Bank were formed as ghettoes to contain the displaced Palestinian population. The Israelis figured their carrot and (massive) stick strategy against Hamas was working like a Pavlovian reflex to deter attacks save for occasional small forays to maintain their street cred for funding.
Hamas certainly knew that was the Israeli thinking – and that’s the latter’s fatal mistake. In warfare, the enemy must never be allowed to predict your moves since that allows them to be countered. And that’s what is playing out in Israel-Palestine today. Hamas knows Israel would’ve countered massively – and they know they’d suffer massive casualties. They know that babies, children and women in FAAAAAR greater numbers than they inflicted on the Israelis will be slaughtered by the latter – while breaking International Law!! And they were willing to accept this!
Why? Because while they’ll lose this battle in body count, they’re expecting to win the war of world opinion by ripping away the moral high ground Israel has occupied for the aforementioned six decades! Israel – the world heard ad nauseum – was a democracy that didn’t commit atrocities on civilians. Well, even before the promised assault by the 300,000+ Israeli forces, the bombardment by missiles on civilian centres has already surpassed the atrocities by Hamas. Already, we have had the all-important Global South – with the exception of India – and even some Western allies – taking a firm stand against Israel!!
Israel’s gonna now become the villain of the piece – for acting with such barbarity against civilians!! All its Western allies – and India – gonna be tarred with this same brush. Hamas is playing a long game to achieve this strategic shift in perceptions. Already, have you ever seen such demonstrations against Israel across the world? Revenge is never a good strategy – as the US found out after 9-11 by attacking Afghanistan!!
Another victory’s gonna be achieved when Hezbollah in the West Bank is forced – by Israeli atrocities – to intensify its attacks as the Palestinian refugees pour out of Gaza into the Egyptian desert. Ironically, reversing the Biblical move of Moses and the Twelve Tribes!!
As Israel fights on two fronts – and kills primarily civilians – the noose tightens!!
…of agri
While we’re now being recognised as a petrostate, strategically the PPP recognises that our future lies in agriculture!! However, many Guyanese think because we were formed as an agri-state by the colonials, realising our agri potential gonna be a cinch!! That’s the worst mistake we could make!! The colonials focused on a sugar monoculture to the cost of everything else – and look where that’s gotten us!! The industry is struggling to survive as a high-cost producer of a product now seen as a threat to good health!!
In the new world where we’re hearing about “food security” as the need to be satisfied, we gotta pick our crops strategically. We’ve already built a strong rice industry – completely through private efforts. Rice is eaten by the majority of the people in the world – and food tastes don’t change with the snap of a finger.
We can do worse than increasing our production in the short term from the 650,000 tonnes we’re exporting right now, to a million tonnes!!
…against Venezuela
Russia’s tightening its relations with Venezuela – beyond facilitating their surreptitious shipments of oil. They’re preparing for a Maduro visit and promised increased investments. The US gotta see this as a direct threat to their strategic interests!!
Bomb them!!
