Breaking: Israel & Iran at War--US Moving Troops into the Region, Dock Worker's Strike Threatens the Entire U.S. Economy, Former POTUS Candidate Comes Out Against Free Speech (The Five for 10/01/24)
Hey, welcome to The Five.
This is a very heavy issue.
Pray for peace…for the world just got more dangerous in the last few hours.
[one]
Whether or not both countries have put a label on it…Iran and Israel are now in a full scale war.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said its missile strike on Israel was in defense of Iran’s interests and citizens, warning on X that the operation on Tuesday was “only a portion of our power.”
“This action was in defense of the interests and citizens of Iran. To let (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu know that Iran is not belligerent, but it stands firmly against any threat,” he wrote. “Do not enter into a conflict with Iran.”
In a message posted on X, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warned in Hebrew that the “blows” against Israel would become “stronger and more painful.”
“With God’s help, the blows of the uprising front will become stronger and more painful on the worn and rotting body of the Zionist regime,” he said.
The barrage comes after Israel launched a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon targeting the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah. Israel killed Hezbollah’s leader Hassan Nasrallah in an airstrike last Friday and decimated the leadership of the most powerful paramilitary force in the Middle East — ratcheting up fears of a new regional war.
[two]
…American troops are already being shifted to the region.
American Military News reports:
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East as tensions increase in the region amid Israel’s ongoing attacks against the Hezbollah terrorist organization.
According to Military.com, Tom Crosson, a Pentagon spokesperson, confirmed that Austin has ordered aircraft units preparing to leave the Middle East to remain in the region, while the units who were initially expected to replace them, comprised of a “few thousand” U.S. service members, will now join them.
The increase in U.S. Forces in the Middle East comes as Israel has launched strikes and limited operations in Lebanon over the past several days. The Pentagon’s announcement also comes after Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was assassinated on Friday, according to Military.com.
Sabrina Singh, a Pentagon spokesperson, told reporters on Monday that the secretary of defense has “increased the readiness of additional U.S. forces to deploy, elevating our preparedness to respond to various contingencies” and that the Defense Department “maintains robust and integrated air-defense capabilities across the Middle East, ensuring the protection of U.S. forces operating in the region.”
According to a Pentagon press release, Austin has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to remain in the Middle East region alongside the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group and Marine Expeditionary Unit.
In plain language…fighter jets, air craft carriers and ground landing troops are moving in.
[three]
In addition to the missile attack, it’s safe to assume that Iran was also behind a mass shooting on public transit in Tel Aviv, Israel’s second largest city.
The Daily Wire reports:
Two terrorists were neutralized after opening fire on Jerusalem Boulevard in Tel Aviv-Jaffa on Tuesday night, killing eight people and leaving seven wounded, the Times of Israel reports.
Israeli media showed photos of the terrorists with rifles exiting the Tel Aviv Light Rail in Jaffa, a neighborhood in the southern part of Tel Aviv. The attack came shortly before Iran launched more than a hundred ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday.
Israel’s national EMS organization, Magen David Adom, announced that the group treated seven casualties, including two individuals who were unconscious and in critical condition. Two others were in serious condition.
[four]
As of last night, there are no goods going into, or out of, the U.S. via ship, which will likely hit the entire U.S. economy.
Dockworkers at ports from Maine to Texas began walking picket lines early Tuesday in a strike over wages and automation that could reignite inflation and cause shortages of goods if it goes on more than a few weeks.
The contract between the ports and about 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association expired at midnight, and even though progress was reported in talks on Monday, the workers went on strike. The strike affecting 36 ports is the first by the union since 1977.
Workers began picketing at the Port of Philadelphia shortly after midnight, walking in a circle at a rail crossing outside the port and chanting “No work without a fair contract.”
The union had message boards on the side of a truck reading: “Automation Hurts Families: ILA Stands For Job Protection.”
Local ILA president Boise Butler said workers want a fair contract that doesn’t allow automation of their jobs.
Shipping companies made billions during the pandemic by charging high prices, he said. “Now we want them to pay back. They’re going to pay back,” Butler said.
He said the union will strike for as long as it needs to get a fair deal, and it has leverage over the companies.’
The union is demanding that wages are increased by 77% by 2030, which is a rather staggering figure…but perhaps more doable than the idea that keeping automation out of this industry is possible.
For every day the docks are shut down, it will take six days for the supply chain to catch up when operations resume.
This will likely have a major impact on business during Q4, as there will be less good available to buy…which means consumers can expect another painful increase in inflation.
According to Fox 5 Baltimore, the strike has already turned violent, with truck drivers being attacked by picketing longshoremen.
[five]
And if you think it’s your right to have an opinion about any of these things…Former US Presidential Candidate John Kerry disagrees. The ONLY politician I will express outright disgust for, the ex-Senator suggested we destroy free speech because…something.
From Kerry’s Q&A at the World Economic Forum.
The growing frustration and concern about social media's impact is becoming more evident, especially in democracies. It has made it increasingly difficult to build consensus on any issue. Governing today is challenging because we no longer have trusted referees to help determine what's factual and what's not. Those mechanisms for establishing truth have been greatly weakened.
People tend to seek out information from sources they already agree with, leading to a vicious cycle that makes consensus even harder to achieve. In my 45-50 years of experience, it's never been more difficult. There's ongoing discussion about how to hold these platforms accountable for spreading disinformation, but it's tricky.
For instance, if people rely on a single source of news that's biased or spreading falsehoods, it's tough to counteract that because of the First Amendment, which protects free speech—even when that speech is harmful. What we need is to win the ground in elections, gathering enough support to implement change.
Of course, there are some who are willing to pursue change through dangerous means, which puts our democracy at risk. So the real question is whether democracy can survive unregulated social media. Democracies are facing enormous challenges, and they haven't yet shown they can adapt quickly or on a large enough scale to address these problems. That, in my view, is what this election is about: can we break the fever and move forward in the United States?
If you need a refresher on the guy who wants to take your speech away…he’s likely a traitor to his fellow servicemen in Vietnam.
Snopes rates the accusations against Kerry as “complicated,” with a handful of men under his command claiming John was a “compassionate leader,” while many other reputable voices point out Kerry’s short tour in country, fake Purple Heart…and likely outright lies about his fellow Navy service members, make him unfit for public service.
The testimony of one Navy Commander is particularly damning:
The briefing from some members of that crew the morning after revealed that they had not received any enemy fire, and yet Lt.(jg) Kerry informed me of a wound — he showed me a scratch on his arm and a piece of shrapnel in his hand that appeared to be from one of our own M-79s. It was later reported to me that Lt.(jg) Kerry had fired an M-79, and it had exploded off the adjacent shoreline. I do not recall being advised of any medical treatment, and probably said something like 'Forget it.' He later received a Purple Heart for that scratch, and I have no information as to how or whom.
Lt.(jg) Kerry was allowed to return to the good old USA after 4 months and a few days in-country, and then he proceeded to betray his former shipmates, calling them criminals who were committing atrocities. Today we are here to tell you that just the opposite is true. Our rules of engagement were quite strict, and the officers and men of Swift often did not even return fire when they were under fire if there was a possibility that innocent people — fishermen, in a lot of cases — might be hurt or injured. The rules and the good intentions of the men increased the possibility that we might take friendly casualties."
— Commander Grant Hibbard, USN (retired)
So, in other words…the man who’s entire political career was likely built on outright lies, now wants to control what you can say, and read, online.
Until the next one,
-sth