The road to hell, is paved with good intentions.
We cannot save innocent lives, with good intentions alone.
TGIF TAT readers,
Today’s article is pointed and highlights a most dangerous aspect of what has become the norm in the US. This pertains to most of the world these days, but it is an especially acute threat to our US constitutional republic.
My whole purpose when I began writing Truth about Threats, was to tell the whole truth and add expert commentary from me and esteemed colleagues and experts. No one can make an informed decision about their preferences without as they say in court, “the truth and nothing but the truth.”
My definition of truth goes something like this: “all known, credible facts, objectively presented in context.” Western media, when it comes to the war in Gaza, fails this definition dangerously for innocent Jews, and Arabs in and around Gaza.
I grew up with and as an adult, have heard the phrase, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions,” countless times. It is one of those quintessentially prophetic and all too often accurate proverbs.
1) People who believe they are doing good can end up doing bad (the law of unintended consequences). 2) There is no value in simply planning to do good if you don't actually do it. Origin: This proverb may have its roots in a statement in French by St Bernard of Clairvaux (c.1150): "L'enfer est plein de bonnes volontés ou désirs." ("Hell is full of good intentions or desires.") - englishclub.com
First things first
Western media coverage of the war in Gaza has been extremely dishonest towards their consumers. No matter how many carefully hidden, minor disclaimers they embed in their sensationalist front pages, what they leave out and include, is overtly dishonest. Three of my, prior to Gaza favorite media sites, REUTERS, The Associated Press and the BBC News have been lying by omission, quoting Hamas and Iranian propaganda, without context and/ or clarification and orienting their front pages in an “if it bleeds, it leads” style of reporting.
We have heard little to nothing about the barbaric terrorism of Hamas on October 7th, little of the hostages, some American held by Hamas, nearly no reporting from experts on the military, industrial complex under Gaza, specifically under hospitals, Mosques, schools, refugee camps, UN facilities etc. They seemingly cannot find CT/ counterterrorism experts or regional experts “that don’t toe the party” line with activist editors.

If you read responsible Israeli news, the type of headlines that you will see are more along the line of the screenshot below, from YNET, a popular and credible news site. I assure you that you don’t see much, if any of these headlines from most western media. I don’t know if their “intentions” are good or not, but by omitting so much, western consumers of news, would be correct in believing what amounts to Iranian, Russian, Hezbollah, Hamas and other Islamic terror organizations. Sadly, what they print is overtly dishonest. Oh, by the way, these named offenders like Putin, Xi, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah etc., have been very good at propaganda over the decades, while the US and NATO, still flail to understand these narratives and refuse to learn, or campaign.
It’s not just Islamic extremism supporting Hamas with propaganda, but Russia and Iran are both full supporters. Iran is the puppeteer and Iran is helping out Putin. Putin desperately needs global distraction from his genocidal war against Ukraine, and Iran, desperately needs to have a more prominent role with the Axis of Evil… Putin, Xi, N. Korea, Iran and far more.
Not everything is “black and white.”
US audiences in particular, have been conditioned over decades of political manipulation, to see all issues as zero-sum game, where only one idea or “team” can win. This leaves out all of the nuance to complex issues like the war in Gaza. As they say, “the devil is in the details.” The issues we face today in the Middle East, date back thousands of years and with a very diverse set of cause-and-effect events.
Judaism, the first of the so-called “big three” religious belief systems of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, in this chronological order, have very rarely been substantially in line with peaceful cohabitation on the land. Before these religions were formed, there had already been thousands of years of other conflicts between religions, empires and just plain old warlords of sorts. Violent defense of ones “side” is quite literally baked into the DNA of all indigenous peoples of the region. Water is scarce and being the crossroads for commerce and armies, is also part of the ongoing problems.
Egos, nationalist pride, putting one’s G-d as the core ideology of defending one’s turf, is also baked in. Religion, when it inspires morality is in its best form. When used to justify terrorism, it is the antithesis of morality.
As I have written often, most Israelis and Palestinians want peace and a two-state solution. It is the far-right activism of the current Netanyahu administration that was part of the provocation for this war. Hamas’ blasphemous use of aberrant Islam is an excellent example. Parts of Israel’s ultra-orthodox community and it’s MAGA like thugs in Bibi’s cabinet, are little different. Anyone’s religious beliefs that requires them to kill, maim and torture is not a religion, it’s a violent extremist movement or terrorist organization.
Back on October 9th, I wrote a long and detailed analysis of who is primarily to blame for the war in Gaza and yes, the devil is in the details again. Please see the graphic below.
In fact, with today’s article, I have now written 15 reports on this war since October 9th. I discuss the nuances that western media refuses to. I don’t do this for a “side” but for the truth required to ultimately protect innocent lives on both sides. Spoiler alert, the only answer is to rid Gaza of Hamas, other Islamic terrorist organizations and influence from thugs like the theocrats in Tehran, Putin, Xi and nations like Qatar and Turkey. There are more but you get the idea with these few.
Israel - by Paul Cobaugh - Truth About Threats
Let's unpack the complex, barbaric attack on Israel and those to blame. (truthaboutthreats.com)
Short Friday notes after yesterday's long report on Israel (truthaboutthreats.com)
A quick Sunday update regarding the Israeli/Palestinian conflict in Gaza (truthaboutthreats.com)
Three things about the war in Gaza that we all must understand. (truthaboutthreats.com)
5th in the series, Israel and Hamas updates. (truthaboutthreats.com)
Has all media, good and bad, forgotten how to report with facts and context? (truthaboutthreats.com)
A short catch-up on Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, Russia and China's hand in Hamas' barbarism for their own selfish purposes. 7th in the series (truthaboutthreats.com)
Friday updates - by Paul Cobaugh - Truth About Threats
What the hell is wrong with almost all media reporting on the conflict in Gaza and ignoring the brutality in Ukraine and other nations? (truthaboutthreats.com)
“If it bleeds, it leads” - by Paul Cobaugh (truthaboutthreats.com)
Mid-week, national security, news round-up (truthaboutthreats.com)
When we blame countries and terrorist groups for war, don’t forget to blame corporations and Wall Street too! (truthaboutthreats.com)
Cost - Benefit Analysis, the war in Gaza - by Paul Cobaugh (truthaboutthreats.com)
I will summarize by talking a bit about US and western audiences.
Moral people intend well. Still, when they are under the spell of propaganda that supports Narrative Warfare, they are subconsciously triggered to respond to what they think is most moral and ethical. In this case, they are unintentionally supporting the slaughter of innocent Israelis and Palestinians. This is how narrative works. The actions that well-meaning but poorly informed media consumers take, depends on what they are fed by media, friends, politicians, religious leaders and more. I will include a link or two here that helps readers to better understand about the warfare going on to acquire support from well-meaning but adversely influenced citizens. The US government and our allies certainly don’t understand as it pertains to national security. This is another very long topic.
Without factoring "brainwashing" into the equation for 2024, we're doomed to another far-right, extremist administration, no matter what pollsters say. (truthaboutthreats.com)
Yes, extremist politics increases the threat to a nation's national security. (truthaboutthreats.com)
Protecting our nation from Mis and Disinformation, requires true expertise at Ethical Influence (truthaboutthreats.com)
A Five Point Strategy to Oppose Russian Narrative Warfare (truthaboutthreats.com)
The US and West are utter failures at Narrative Warfare. It's killing both "sides" in Israel and Gaza. (truthaboutthreats.com)
Combat ineffective, the rusted, broken hulk of US Influence Operations (truthaboutthreats.com)
The US National Security community is incapable of managing mis/ disinformation threats (truthaboutthreats.com)
Now, let’s get back to those well-meaning but horribly misinformed Americans and other Westerners that want to help innocent Palestinians but due to being the victims of false narratives and lying by omission by major news outlets, they can only demand a cease-fire that will perpetuate this conflict endlessly and into the next few generations.
What I want readers to know and as I have expressed in all of my writings on this particular war, is that the best way to protect all innocents on all sides, is to dismantle the infrastructure of Hamas, their supply, training and support by Iran. This includes putting an end to Hezbollah in Lebanon and their colleagues in Syria. Every single entity that I have just named, is in full support of genocide for Jewish Israelis and likely over time, Christians too. This is what Reuters, Associated Press and the BBC refuse to express or allow an opinion about. As noted prior, they are far from alone.
If we continue to believe these dishonest news sources, future deaths against non-combatants will be partially their fault as also the support of misinformed, well-meaning citizens. We must never forget that Hamas, who won the election to rule Gaza in 2006/7 are extraordinarily oppressive and violent towards the Palestinian people. The west supplies 90%+ of the aid to Gaza and Hamas steals most of that. That Palestinians live in poverty and squalor, is not the fault of anyone but Hamas and Iran.
Just imagine that genocidal terrorists lived across the street from you in your small town and not only did they barbarously attack and murder 1,200 of your family friends and neighbors but also intend to murder everyone in your country. This is Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran and far more from the region. This is not made up but literally written into the Hamas charters and Covenant. Now, just imagine that the rest of the world condemns your defense, because no one will tell them the truth about what is happening in your small town.
All people have a legitimate right to self-defense, Palestinians included. The problem is that they need to defend themselves from Hamas and Iran, not Israel. I can also tell you from personal, first-hand experience that no moral soldier, wants innocents’ deaths on their hands. In fact, they will suffer immeasurably for the deaths of other human beings, likely as long as they live. Hamas, like all terrorist organizations regardless of ideology, don’t care at all. They intentionally target the innocent and as on October 7th, in the most barbaric manner. In fact, they carried handbooks into Israel with detailed instructions on how to kill, torture and take hostage, Israeli civilians regardless of age.
Reuters, the Associated Press and the BBC also will not tell you that the IDF, Israeli Defense Forces “duty to warn, was the gold standard” and as confirmed by the prestigious Leiber Institute at West Point.
Israel – Hamas 2023 Symposium – The IDF, Hamas, and the Duty to Warn - Lieber Institute West Point
Israel – Hamas 2023 Symposium – Inside IDF Targeting - Lieber Institute West Point
The bottom line to everything I have “penned today” and over the past month, is missing from the news sources that people have long trusted. They are also only mentioned by the US and NATO defense communities occasionally and without the benefit of a compelling narrative which they in no way, understand.
I don’t blame people for acting on what they have been spoon fed from media, but I do expect citizens, like our founders, to be well and accurately informed. It is the only way to sustain our republic and the lives of victims from terrorists, aggressive and genocidal leaders like Putin, Xi and the Iranian thugs posturing as “religious leaders.” I encourage all to ask questions, demand the whole truth and nothing but the truth. As goes, a very popular saying these days, “democracy dies in darkness.” Tragically, innocent victims of the soulless barbarians around the world do too.
My very best for your weekend,
Paul