I didn't mean financial survival. To listen to any apologist of our Middle East policy, it's utterly vital for Israeli survival to have the threat of American nuclear reprisal at their beck and call.

Perhaps "military assistance" would have been a better term.

As to "nominally democratic", they're governed by a bunch of repressive thugs who don't listen to their own people - slightly better than the United States in that respect. Or do you really think their Palestinian policy is democratically derived?

And yes. I think the military-industrial complex will do anything to win, and the Israelis are known to be non-stupid. They could do worse.

As to the level of discourse, I thought my response was better than JEW JEW JEW ANTISEMITISM, but your mileage may vary.