Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

ELI5 - Why do Israelis and Palestinians hate each other so much?

Ignoring the overgeneralization, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has its roots in a series of political movements and wars. The Jewish people have historical ties to the area dating back almost 3,000 years. They were, however, expelled by the Romans in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, after which the Romans referred to it as Syria-Palestina. By the 7th century, the area became predominantly Muslim. Post-WWI, following the Ottoman Empire's fall, the British assumed control. Zionism's rise, especially after the atrocities of the Holocaust, led to Israel's independence and the first Arab-Israeli war. Israel's victory then and in subsequent wars displaced many Arabic-speakers and resulted in disputed territory in Gaza and the West Bank. This ongoing conflict over Israel's existence, grievances of the displaced, conditions of living, and more, fuel distrust, animosity, and have led to numerous terrorist attacks.

By drollparadox7655 1 year ago

MRI (Cost)

ELI5 - If the operational cost of an MRI scan is $50-75, why does it cost up to $3500 to a patient?

While the procedure itself may not be that expensive, owning and operating such an extremely high-tech machine comes with massive overhead. To begin with, an MRI machine can cost several million dollars. Parts, which often break, can be extraordinarily expensive—the imaging coils, for example, can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars. MRI contrast agent (the magnetic fluid patients must take before an MRI) can cost up to 40/mL. The techs and doctors who operate the machines and interpret the results also have to be paid. And ultimately, there is a markup because the healthcare companies that can afford these machines have a monopoly on them and will charge what they can.

By Alex 1 year ago

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

ELI5 - Why do Israelis and Palestinians hate each other so much?

In 1947, following WWII and years of Zionist sentiment, the UN proposed splitting British Palestine—a historically and religiously important territory—into Jewish and Arab states. The Arab contingency rejected, causing war and the Nakba. Later conflicts resulted in Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza. Two Palestinian Intifadas occurred in 1987-1993 and 2000-2005. Central issues include Israeli settlements, Jerusalem, Palestinian rights, refugees' right of return, and terrorism.

By Alex 1 year ago

Keith Gill

ELI5 - How did Keith Gill (AKA RoaringKitty, AKA DeepFuckingValue) turn 50k into over 200M? What's the deal with GME?

Known online as Roaring Kitty and DeepFuckingValue, Gill turned $50k into over $200M by investing in GameStop (GME) using leveraged and risky options. He believed GME was undervalued and heavily shorted by hedge funds. Gill bought call options—contracts allowing him to buy shares at a set price in the future—leveraging his investment to amplify potential gains.

He shared his analysis online, igniting a surge of retail investors who bought GME shares, leading to a short squeeze. This forced short-sellers to buy shares to cover their positions, causing the stock price to skyrocket and multiplying the value of Gill’s options. The event grew into a broader movement against Wall Street, where individual investors challenged institutional short-sellers, exposing vulnerabilities in traditional financial systems.

By Alex 1 year ago

Short Squeeze

ELI5 - What is a short squeeze and how does it work?

A short squeeze occurs when the price of a heavily shorted stock suddenly rises sharply. Short sellers, who have borrowed shares to sell them in hopes of buying them back in the future at a lower price, find themselves facing potentially infinite losses as the stock’s price climbs. To limit these losses, short sellers scramble to buy back shares to return to lenders, which further increases the stock’s demand and therefore its price.

By Alex 1 year ago

Bitcoin Halving

ELI5 - What is the Bitcoin halving and why does it impact the price of Bitcoin?

The Bitcoin halving, a design implemented by its creator Satoshi Nakamoto, controls the influx of new Bitcoin by halving the block reward every 4 years or 250,000 blocks on the Blockchain. This method aims to cap Bitcoin's total supply at 21 million, mirroring gold's scarcity to avoid inflation and motivate miners to maintain network security via transaction fees rather than just block rewards. Here's how it works: Miners solve a complex puzzle to add a block to the Blockchain, earning Bitcoin as a reward. Initially set at 50 Bitcoins per block, this reward halves every 210,000 blocks. Starting in 2012, it reduced to 25, in 2016 to 12.5, and in 2020 to 6.25 Bitcoins. This halving continues until all 21 million Bitcoins are mined, a process autonomously governed by Bitcoin's source code without external interference.

By Alex 1 year ago

Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

ELI5 - Why do Israelis and Palestinians hate each other so much?

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict centers on a struggle over land and identity between the inhabitants of Israel and Palestine, both claiming historical and religious ties. Originating in the late 19th century with Jewish Zionists seeking a safe homeland and Arab nationalism seeking independence, tensions began to escalate. Post-WWII, the UN's 1947 partition plan led to Israel's creation in 1948; rejected by Arab states, it sparked war, eventually won by Israel, and resulting in the displacement of many Palestinians. Core issues include borders, Jerusalem's status, Palestinian refugee rights, and security. Despite numerous peace efforts, deep-seated grievances and mutual distrust have thwarted a lasting resolution, continuing the conflict.

By PumpkinPie113 1 year ago