So that’s a no on the evidence? And criticism is one thing, but immediately jumping to “the US must have done this, because the IDF doesn’t have commando teams that do hostage rescue, or something” is another. I’m really not sure where you get the idea that Israel needs the US to do special forces shit like ten feet from the Israeli border.

Ah, yes. The famously incompetent IDF. Unlike those US SOF who have definitely never screwed up in any way.

Do you have any real evidence that US forces are operating in Israel besides your hatred of Israel?

No government can afford giving large enough baby bounties to move the needle. Kids are really, really expensive.

It’s also a safeguard against the reigning power using bogus prosecutions against their opposition, like we see in many authoritarian states.

Jailing someone in the middle of a trial is a hugely disruptive delay. But now the trial is over, and the judge gets to count all ten counts of contempt (so far!) against Trump during sentencing. Trump has also been doing everything that a repentant defendant should not be doing, so even though it’s his first offense, he might get some actual jail time. Not the max, but maybe a few months. Especially if he violates the gag order and goes after the judge of his family again. Or the jurors.

Gerrymandering, structural advantages, etc. the same as it’s always been.

Because unfortunately the pro-Israel, pro- cop Democratic candidates are much closer to the average voter than the nutbag religious extremists are.