The Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Thursday that would force President Joe Biden to send weapons to Israel, seeking to rebuke the Democrat for delaying bomb shipments as he urges Israel to do more to protect civilians during its war with Hamas.

The Israel Security Assistance Support Act was approved 224 to 187, largely along party lines. Sixteen Democrats joined most Republicans in voting yes, and three Republicans joined most Democrats in opposing the measure.

The act is not expected to become law, but its passage underscored the deep U.S. election-year divide over Israel policy as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government seeks to wipe out militants who attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing around 1,200 people and seizing 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

  • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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    6 months ago

    Feels like they should be adding critical contextual information like this to the titles. I know the headline writers hate the idea of people just reading the headline to get informed (because clicks are needed for ads), but people do get informed that way. It’s a very different story if “Congress rebukes Biden on Israel” than “Republicans rebuke Biden on Israel”, and I expect “US House” translates into an average reader’s mind much more as “Congress” than “Republicans”.

    • Clent@lemmy.world
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      6 months ago

      Which is why we need tests before voting. The average American is too ill informed to be trusted with voting.

      The Republicans have brought in all sorts of other hurdlers for voting but oddly nothing that would test the intelligence of their electorates.

      • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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        6 months ago

        I can’t imagine how such tests would be fair and not abused. It might make for a more effective electorate if there weren’t so many poorly informed votes in the mix, but making that happen is almost certain to lead to abuse and very unlikely to produce the desired result.

        • Clent@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          My proposal was sardonic. The right has tried to revive anti-voter measures but none that would reduce the ability of their halfwit supporters to cast their ballots.

        • fuckingkangaroos@lemm.ee
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          6 months ago

          making that happen is almost certain to lead to abuse and very unlikely to produce the desired result.

          Lead to abuse agreed, but why do you think it’s very unlikely to produce the desired result?

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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            6 months ago

            Two reasons:

            1. Because it will lead to abuse and thus not try to measure political knowledge.
            2. Because a reasonably accessible test can’t really measure political knowledge. Even defining “politically knowledgeable” is hard. Do you need to watch Trump rally speeches to be politically knowledgeable? Do you need to know the three branches of government? Are we a democracy? Do we have free and fair elections? Can you be a single-issue voter, or do you need to prove you know all the other stuff?
            • fuckingkangaroos@lemm.ee
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              6 months ago

              Fair enough, I think I agree anyway, but the idea of an unbiased test that filters out ignorant people is appealing.

              Frankly, democracy in it’s current form is struggling, so it seems like we need to make some serious adjustments.

        • Clent@lemmy.world
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          6 months ago

          Yes. That’s the joke. They can’t do it now because their constituents are morons.

          • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
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            6 months ago

            Their constituents were morons back in the day too, they just made either separate tests or tests that for cultural reasons were easier for the “right people” to pass. Lots of them would have failed the literacy tests too, so they made alternate options that only white people would qualify for.