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Neoliberal Feudalism's avatar

There's a lot that I take issue with about this post, mostly the tone, which is arrogant and over-the-top overconfident, like a Moldbug copycat (whose tone also doesn't translate well to this era, although it was amazing in 2007). There's silly comments like "Israel is the biggest recipient of US foreign aid. Who’s number 2? Egypt, as this was the price for the Camp David Accords. Is this because of the Egypt Lobby?" No, it's simply to bribe Egypt to stay out of another war with Israel. I mean, this is basic stuff. But a bigger question to ask that just blows this whole post out of the water is: if U.S. aid from the region was cut off across all quarters, both military and diplomatic, what would happen in the region? Israel would be swallowed up by the billion Muslims that surrounds it, immediately. Therefore the U.S. role in the region is much more one-sided than this post alleges.

Also, the U.S. does not need Middle Eastern oil, as it is basically an autarky and is a net oil exporter. There's a different argument that could be made about the U.S. wanting to maintain its worldwide hegemony and specifically the hegemony of the dollar via the petrodollar system, but that wasn't made here. If you want to understand how the U.S. role in the Middle East is *really* structured, check out the Tree of Woe series here:

https://treeofwoe.substack.com/p/running-on-empty-part-i

https://treeofwoe.substack.com/p/running-on-empty-part-ii

https://treeofwoe.substack.com/p/running-on-empty-part-iii

https://treeofwoe.substack.com/p/running-on-empty-part-iv

As a point of constructive criticism, the click-baity "I'm definitely right and here's the secret why" Twitter tone does not translate well to Substack.

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Eitan Marks's avatar

Hey Pascal, I've been reading you for many many years, probably since you were at The Week. I saw you arguing with Academic Agent on Twitter, and he's just really lost the plot. I've been watching him and a bunch of people in his YouTube "sphere" pretty assiduously the past few years, and I feel like they've all just lost the plot. These people have the biggest political opportunity probably since World War II to peel off a large chunk of the normie establishment, and large chunks of the Jewish establishment, away from mass immigration. They have the opportunity to normalize population exchange, and a priceless show of how dangerous large angry populations of Muslims colonizing the West can be! But no! They throw it all away because "the antisemitism is the point"! These people don't care about actually accomplishing their political goals, they don't care about saving the West or the white race or whatever, they've got Joos on the brain and they're pissing everything away for nothing!

I agree with many of the analyses and (supposed) goals of the Dissident/non-Normie Right, or whatever one calls it, and it really feels like they're falling into the old habits that they've been falling into since the days of George Lincoln Rockwell or whatever. Antisemitism such a powerful drug that they are pissing away all their goals, just because it's the Jews. How can we have a non-Regime Right that actually wants to save our civilization? I despair of knocking some sense into AA, but there have to be countervailing voices.

I'd love to have a chat if you have time, please let me know how to contact.

Eitan

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