This is a major problem for everyone: It’s a problem for Westerners, because wilful ignorance produces policy mistakes, and it’s a problem for non-Westerners, because they’re dealing with opponents who can’t even be relied on to know that key parameters have obviously changed.  

It’s like Columbus coming back and being told: “No you didn’t - you fell off the edge of the flat earth.” After being momentarily stunned, what would Columbus do? He would surely go about his business, consider that person to be a fool and rely on history to tell the tale properly.

Telling the tale properly the day after is the work known as “journalism”: journalism is the history of yesterday, after all.

It’s not easy, but are Western journalists not doing the work here, or are they wilfully lying?

That’s a real question, because any decent journalist today (and any average citizen who wishes to be well-informed) knows the modern media landscape requires examining three areas where news can now be found: the MSM, the alternative media and social media.

On social media there’s no lack of videos which show Iranian missiles striking land time and time again. Such as this one, of an Israeli air base getting hit some 20 times - striking that is rather like striking a Zyklon-B factory in 1943.

Wow.

Iran’s missiles successfully hit Israel’s Nevatim Air Base in the Negev. pic.twitter.com/fz96hA3Uj0

— sarah (@sahouraxo) October 1, 2024

It is crystal clear - Iranian high-speed missiles got through the Iron Dome easily and did damage. As one person wrote on social media: it’s like being attacked by aliens.

Anybody who cared enough to look could easily find these videos. I’m sure many people who didn’t care to look found them on their social media feeds anyway, as they are truly amazing. How the world can change, eh? Who would have thought in 1987 that Iran would rise - technologically, militarily, politically, economically, culturally - to the point where they could strike inside Israel, and that the West would be powerless to stop it?

Of course there’s concern for what Israel will do in retaliation, but the point is made: Iran can now strike anywhere in Israel, and that’s a major reversal of historic parameters. Israeli military censorship means we’ll never see the actual damage, but the videos provide overwhelming proof of this reversal of alleged Israeli impregnability. Even if the missiles had no payload - getting through is enough to change paradigms and smash assumptions, at least to any honest person.

If Iran had targeted residential areas, women and children - like Israel and the West does over and over - then there would be more footage for the naysayers, but Iran only aimed for military sites. (Iran not only wants the moral high ground, they need it because they are espousing high revolutionary ideals.)

Who is getting these facts correct? Forty-eight hours later - not many.

Let’s start with who has: Alt-finance site Zerohedge took a full day to let their greed for profitable trades - which require honest assessments and acceptance of facts - to overpower their usual desire to back Israel. Their October 3 article led with:

“The recent missile barrage striking Israel from Iran showcased a security reality that has startled many people in the west - Israel's ‘Iron Dome’ defense system is not as effective as they believed. Evidence suggests it was clearly overwhelmed, either by the sheer number of missiles (estimates vary but al least 200 were fired), or by new Iranian hypersonic technology.  Either way, this one attack changed the prevailing perspective on Israeli air defense.”

Understating the case a touch, perhaps, but that’s what “objective journalism” requires - leave the hyperbole and overconfidence for op-eds. This is a rare case of a Western media which accepts the new reality - anyone who believed the perpetual propaganda on Iron Dome’s effectiveness should indeed be “startled”.

As devastating a blow - on a cultural and human level, but not on a military operations level - as losing the wonderful Nasrallah was, the Iranian strike has clearly extracted an equal price for his death: Israel’s era of impregnability is over. Definitively.

However, a day earlier Michael Every of Rabobank, whom we can call Zerohedge’s preferred foreign policy expert, evinced the same delusion as the MSM when he repeated as truth what the Israeli military absurdly claimed: “Overnight, around 200 ballistic missiles were again fired into Israel from Iran, most shot down in flight with the help of the US, UK, and Jordan, others hitting open areas near real targets, with only one casualty, a Palestinian.” Every claims Iran “just made a huge strategic error”… but he writes as if he hasn’t seen the footage, or is in wilful denial, or simply won’t admit the truth publicly - so what good is his analysis?

Every is popular mainly because he’s an interesting writer, leavening his work with astute pop culture references but also a bit of Marx: he’s a rare top high-finance thinker who effectively concedes that the socialist/Chinese model is working and that the capitalist/Western model is doomed to inefficiency and inequality. He doesn’t care, of course - he only cares about trying to make money - but how could anyone bother to follow his trading advice when he can’t be bothered to question the bias of Israeli military sources amid wartime?

Moving from alt-media to the MSM, the latter cannot admit, or cannot allow it to be admitted, that the missiles everyone saw get through and land actually got through and landed.

Axios - whose style is to present the news as mere bullet points for busy Western executives who want to know just a little and definitely not too much, and which clearly has sources high up in the Democratic Party - immediately ran to the most biased source they could find: an Israeli arms manufacturer

• “The system"performed as expected" and produced "wonderful" results, Israel Aerospace Industries CEO Boaz Levy told Axios. State-owned IAI developed the system in partnership with the U.S.”

That’s from How Israel's air defenses knocked down Iran's missiles. I shudder at the idea of an editor telling me to call up Israel Aerospace Industries for a quote on this report….

The Associated Press, which is supposed to be the standard-bearer of objective journalism in the US media, aimed to immediately erase any doubts with a headline that beggars belief, “Israel’s multilayered air-defense system passes another test in fending off Iranian missile strike”.

Refusing to publicly admit the truth - is this the MSM’s real problem? How can they have not seen the videos, somewhere? What’s certain is that it has profoundly negative consequences for anyone within range, including for the speaker, and that it doesn’t change the truth.

So how is it then that this pride has manifested into humiliating embarrassment, where, as a nation, Australia is now exhibiting levels of ignorance and naivety so disturbing that it is beginning to resemble American stupidity—apologies to all my American friends?

Two days ago, Australian protestors in Melbourne attended a rally against the ongoing slaughter and terror being enacted by Israel toward Palestine and now Lebanon. Israel’s plans for expansionism bear no limits. It has stolen Palestine, and now it wants to steal Lebanon. Among those protesting were people waving Hezbollah flags.

Australia is a democracy—a place of free speech where the right to speak your mind is allowed. Well, it appears as a nation, Australia has descended into becoming an authoritarian state, if not fully, then partially. Freedom of speech is acceptable only if you conform to the narratives of the state.

Australia is in trouble, and so are those Hezbollah flag-waving protestors whose only act was waving flags. But to Australia’s Attorney General, Mark Dreyfus, a proud Zionist Jew it seems, waving Hezbollah flags warrants a knock on the door from the Australian Federal Police.

Dreyfus, like many Australians and the West, remains ignorant of what and who Hezbollah are and do, having been captured by Zionist and US propaganda, deliberately designed, as always, to demonise anyone who stands against them.

The war between Israel and resistance movements like Hamas and Hezbollah continues to be framed by Western governments and media as part of a broader war on terrorism. However, the realities and the contexts in which these groups arise suggest Israel and the US are engaged in a war they can’t win. This war isn’t simply a military struggle—it’s rooted in decades of occupation, repression, and the legitimate desire for national liberation. The forces of resistance, driven by deeply entrenched historical and ideological foundations, can’t be defeated by the US and Israel.

Like the French Resistance during World War II, Hamas and Hezbollah are fighting not just for political power but for survival, justice, and freedom from occupation—making the war that Israel and the US have unleashed not just unwinnable, but unsustainable.

Both Israel and the US have always believed superior military power can defeat resistance movements like Hamas and Hezbollah. Over the decades, they’ve unleashed devastating military campaigns, resulting in the destruction of civilian infrastructure, the deaths of thousands of civilians, and mass displacement. The US and its allies, like the UK, believe that through overwhelming force, they can stamp out the resistance.

History, however, has shown military might alone is insufficient to defeat deeply rooted, popular resistance movements.

Central to any resistance movement is the experience of deep and prolonged oppression. Hamas and Hezbollah arose not because of an inherent desire for violence, but because of the conditions created by Israel’s occupation and the US’s support of Israeli policies.

Hamas was born out of the First Intifada in 1987. After decades of Israeli military occupation, expanding settlements, and political disenfranchisement, Palestinians saw no other choice but to resist. The violence and displacement that Palestinians experienced, particularly in events like the 1982 Sabra and Shatila massacres in Lebanon, left many convinced that armed resistance was the only way forward.

Similarly, Hezbollah was formed in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and its subsequent occupation of the southern part of the country. Israel’s military incursions, combined with the West’s indifference to the suffering of the Lebanese, created fertile ground for Hezbollah to grow into a formidable resistance movement.

Like the French underground, Hamas and Hezbollah are motivated by a desire to liberate their people from occupation—a cause that gives them deep popular legitimacy.

Western governments and media have long sought to paint these resistance movements as nothing more than terrorist organisations. It’s an appalling narrative that serves to justify Israel’s military operations and the West’s complicity in occupation, ignoring why these groups exist. The West has constructed a narrative that conveniently frames Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorists while turning a blind eye to the decades of occupation, repression, and violence inflicted on Palestinians and Lebanese people.

The West’s narrative downplays the fact that the existence of Hamas and Hezbollah is rooted in decades of failed diplomacy and systemic violence, portraying them as mindless terrorists rather than a resistance that mirrors many historical precedents. The framing of them as terrorist organisations allows Israel and the US to deflect attention from their actions, like violations of international law, the expansion of illegal settlements, and the imposition of a suffocating blockade on Gaza.

No more glaring example of the West’s ignorance is the belief that the death of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, spells the end of the organisation. It’s an assumption that reveals such a profound level of ignorance about Hezbollah’s structure, ideological foundation, and the resilience of its supporters. Hezbollah isn’t a cult of personality, nor does its strength rest with one man, albeit Hassan Nasrallah is viewed not only as a political giant but as the greatest Arab leader of all time. Hezbollah is deeply entrenched in the community it represents and has a highly organised structure with layers of leadership.

Nasrallah, who has led Hezbollah since the early 1990s, was undoubtedly a powerful figure, but he ensured that the movement is far from a one-man operation. Just as leaders in the French Resistance were often replaced after their deaths or captures, Nasrallah has trained successors who could easily step into his shoes. His death has galvanised Hezbollah further, strengthening its resolve rather than diminishing it.

Believing Hezbollah will crumble without Nasrallah reflects the West’s failure to understand how resistance movements work. They’re driven by ideological commitments and popular support that can’t be easily dismantled by the removal of a single leader. The notion that Nasrallah’s death has diminished and weakened Hezbollah isn’t only naive but also demonstrates a fundamental ignorance of the complex dynamics of resistance and the motivations sustaining them.

Why Israel and the US can’t win this war rests with their failure to address the root causes. Military might can destroy buildings and take lives, but it cannot extinguish the desire for freedom and justice. The oppression, occupation, and massacres that sparked the formation of Hamas and Hezbollah continue to fuel their existence. No amount of airstrikes, ground invasions, or political demonisation will erase the historical memory of displacement or the reality of living under occupation.

History has repeatedly shown that resistance movements born out of genuine grievances are incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to defeat militarily. The French Resistance persisted despite Nazi efforts to crush it, and after years of struggle, it ultimately played a key role in liberating France. Similarly, Hamas and Hezbollah continue to gain strength, especially as Israel’s occupation drags on and the suffering of Palestinians and Lebanese people remains unaddressed.

Each Israeli or US military operation that results in civilian casualties or the destruction of homes only strengthens the resolve of these resistance groups. The more Israel attempts to crush Hamas in Gaza or Hezbollah in Lebanon, the more popular support they gain. The French Resistance grew in response to Nazi atrocities, and Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements are continuously bolstered by the ongoing repression they face.

One of the most glaring problems the West faces is its profound ignorance of history. The assumption that military solutions can bring about lasting peace or victory ignores the lessons of past wars, where resistance movements have outlasted far superior military powers.

The US and Israel are repeating the mistakes of past empires, believing their military dominance will break the will of those fighting for their freedom. But as with the French Resistance during World War II, the spirit of resistance among Palestinians and Lebanese cannot be subdued.

Furthermore, US policymakers consistently underestimate the extent to which these movements are supported by local populations. Hezbollah, for instance, is not simply a militia—it is a political party with deep social roots in Lebanon, particularly among the Shiite population.

It runs schools, hospitals, and social services, providing vital support in areas neglected by the central government. Hamas is not just a militant group but also a political organisation that provides social services and infrastructure in Gaza. The Western narrative, which paints these groups as purely terroristic, ignores the role they play in their communities and the popular support they command.

Israel and the US are fighting a war they cannot win because they are trying to suppress movements that are fighting for their people’s survival and liberation. The French Resistance couldn’t be defeated by military force alone, and neither can Hamas or Hezbollah. They represent not just political factions but deep-seated resistance to occupation and foreign control, driven by the same forces that have historically fueled resistance movements across the world.

Unless Israel and the US are willing to address the underlying causes of this conflict—the occupation, the denial of Palestinian statehood, and the systemic repression of Palestinian and Lebanese populations—they will continue to face growing resistance. Every military strike, every massacre, and every expansion of settlements only strengthens the resolve of those fighting against these injustices.

In the end, the West’s belief it can bomb its way to peace is historically ignorant. The war between Israel and resistance movements like Hamas and Hezbollah can’t be resolved through military means alone.

It’s a war born of occupation and repression, and it will continue as long as those conditions persist. History has shown time and again that resistance movements don’t die easily—and they certainly don’t die when their people are still fighting for justice.