You make it sound like the people of Gaza have no agency
Correct. That is the physical reality. They have no food, no housing, no medical care, and they keep getting blown the fuck up. If they had any agency over their situation, the first thing they’d do with it is put a stop to any of that. They don’t.
that they’re mindless pawns with predestined outcomes
Not what I said at all. You need to reread, among other things, the first sentence of my comment.
Where do you start making people responsible for their own decisions?
Hamas is not surrendering. They are still launching rockets at Israeli civilians. Hamas is the face of Gaza. Yes, it’s their decision not to surrender. They have agency there.
I’m not defending Israel’s actions nor their people for not revolting against their government. But I’m also not defending Hamas or the people of Gaza for not revolting against them.
They are still launching rockets at Israeli civilians.
Oh, is that the metric?
I mean, I’m sure you’re right, and they should not be killing Israeli civilians, no. But at least they have some kind of reason and justification for it, beyond Israel’s, which is “They keep fighting back when we shoot them and take their shit.”
Correct. That is the physical reality. They have no food, no housing, no medical care, and they keep getting blown the fuck up. If they had any agency over their situation, the first thing they’d do with it is put a stop to any of that. They don’t.
Not what I said at all. You need to reread, among other things, the first sentence of my comment.
Decisions?
I think I’m done with this conversation.
Hamas is not surrendering. They are still launching rockets at Israeli civilians. Hamas is the face of Gaza. Yes, it’s their decision not to surrender. They have agency there.
I’m not defending Israel’s actions nor their people for not revolting against their government. But I’m also not defending Hamas or the people of Gaza for not revolting against them.
Oh, is that the metric?
I mean, I’m sure you’re right, and they should not be killing Israeli civilians, no. But at least they have some kind of reason and justification for it, beyond Israel’s, which is “They keep fighting back when we shoot them and take their shit.”