What Hamas has done is nothing new in terms terrorist autocrats. Concurrent rape and murder were done in Ukraine, Myanmar, El Salvador, Chile, the old Soviet Union, Spain and Portugal during the Napoleonic Wars, all over Colonial Africa by several different European nations, France during the 14th/15th century Hundred Years wars and has been reported happening far back in history. Armies did it when they sacked citied and towns. Mercenary and slaver gangs raped and murdered when they would sweep through areas to pacify the locals as they looted and kidnapped what they could. The only difference between back then and now is the real-time viewership through Social Media. Now most civilized people can't pretend it doesn't happen, like they did in all the other countries I mentioned, because Hamas did it out in the open against a country with close ties to the US.
Hamas didn't invent what they did on October 7th. Their leadership knew full well what the outcome would be, and yes. It's worked out well for them. They get to cause chaos in the Western World, get more street cred amongst the Arab Hegemony groups as well as other anti-West regimes, and they gave hard-right non-Islamists a reason to ramp up lesser forms of atrocities against them to juice up the marketing of their particular criminal brand and recruiting. Its working out very well for the leadership of Hamas, and anyone who benefits politically from the escalation of conflict they're provoking.
I'm not saying don't go after Hamas. What I'm saying is understand why they did what they did. And don't give them the messy "kill them all and let God sort them out" recruiting plan they're counting on getting, or we all sit by and let Israel become the monster it is fighting. There are ways to destroy a snake, but starting from the tail doesn't work.
Haele
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