when i was a kid, growing up in the 90s, i remember how netanyahu was widely viewed as a sort of beacon of rationality on the right. i have a specific memory of a botched joke at dinner with an older member of my extended family. the way he told the joke went something like this:

"speaking of israel, netscape and yahoo just announced a merger. anybody want to guess what it's called."

dead air

i replied at the last minute:

"netanyahu. he's the opposition leader in israel."

blank stares across the dinner table, and a little surprise from the jester.

"you know, most adults don't know that."

"i read a lot on the internet."

he was relatively young. he very much presented himself as a free market conservative, stressing open economic relations over military might. almost a ron paul type, really.

how things have changed. a just war. wow.