Sowing Dragon's Teeth: The Long-Term Consequences of Israel's Violent Campaign. From.the article of Chris Hedges.

 Key points of Chris Hedges' article "Extermination Works. At First.":

1. Israel's Short-Term Goals: 

Hedges argues that Israel is pursuing the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza to depopulate and annex northern Gaza, and possibly extend this to Lebanon and Iran. In the short term, Israel will likely succeed in these objectives due to overwhelming military force.

2. Long-Term Blowback: 

Despite potential short-term victories, Hedges warns of severe long-term consequences for Israel, including increased hatred, extremism, and eventual retaliation from those affected by the violence. He emphasizes that historical patterns show violent oppression sows future conflict and vengeance.

In his words " In the short term they are right. This is not good news for Palestinians or the Lebanese. The U.S. and Israel will continue to use their arsenal of industrial weapons to kill huge numbers of people and turn cities into rubble. But in the long term, this indiscriminate violence sows dragon’s teeth. It creates adversaries that, sometimes a generation later, outdo in savagery — we call it terrorism — what was done to those slain in the previous generation. "

3. U.S. Involvement:

U.S. policymakers, many of whom have ties to Israel, are deeply complicit in supporting Israeli actions. This alliance, Hedges asserts, continues despite past U.S. failures in interventions such as Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya.

4. Historical Lessons Ignored: 

The article compares Israel’s current actions with historical events like the U.S.'s involvement in Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Hedges highlights how extermination campaigns appear successful initially but lead to cycles of violence and resistance, as seen with the rise of Hezbollah and extremist movements.

5. Genocide by Attrition: 

Hedges contends that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide by attrition, characterized by displacement, destruction of infrastructure, and mass civilian casualties. He notes similar patterns in other genocides, including targeting of international monitors and journalists.

6. Global Indifference atnd Complicity:

Hedges criticizes the international community for passively allowing Israel’s extermination campaign. He suggests that powerful lobbies, financial interests in war, and political complicity prevent any meaningful intervention.

7. Parallels to Other Genocides: 

Hedges draws parallels between Israel's actions in Gaza and other historical atrocities, such as Indonesia’s anti-communist genocide and the U.S. genocide of Native Americans. He highlights how societies often mythologize such actions to justify the mass killing.

8. Inevitable Consequences: 

In Hedges' view, Israel's current policies will lead to greater international isolation, growing resistance within the Muslim world, and ultimately the downfall of both Israel and U.S. hegemony in the Middle East. He sees this as an inevitable outcome of the cycle of violence.

9. Moral and Ethical Critique: Throughout, Hedges strongly condemns the dehumanization and brutality of extermination policies, noting that such violence creates enemies who pass their hatred down through generations, ensuring future conflict.


In summary, Hedges asserts that while extermination may seem effective at first, the long-term costs—resistance, vengeance, and eventual collapse—are inevitable.