Friends, My students are graduating at a tremulous time. The largest campus protest movement of the 21st century. The first criminal trial of a former U.S. president. The most restrictive abortion laws in the nation. Two horrific wars. All of this coming after the first pandemic in living memory, one that claimed the lives of a million Americans. And after the first attack on the U.S. Capitol in history, provoked by the first president who refused to accept electoral defeat.
Please don’t forget the AIDS pandemic that claimed the lives of more than 25 million over the past 40 years. I get your point, but for those of us who were college students in the late 1980s, COVID is not the only pandemic in living memory and for many of us, it was equally devastating, if not more so.
Antisemitism and racism are two-of-a-kind epithets used to silence the opposition. BTW, it’s not antisemitism on campuses. It’s pro-Palestinianism. Big difference.
Not really Margaret, there is an underlying disdain and hatred for Jews, those that hold that disdain and hatred, have found that they can now come out and camouflage it as pro Palestinian.
No different than the racist, misogynists and theocrats hiding behind Trump, whom they use as their avatar.
You can disagree with an administration without believing that the country does not have a right to exist. Israel was created at a time when many countries were being carved out of the Ottoman Empire. It's the only one that has to defend its existence. Not to mention that the Palestinians were offered a state and declined (for bizarre radical Islamist reasons); AND, let's not forget that the Jews ARE the indigenous people of that particular strip of land. Where was Jesus crucified exactly?
Why do you assume that disagreeing with Netanyahu's policies is synonymous with believing that Israel should not exist? That's a straw-man argument. The majority of those who oppose Israel's current policies want a TWO-state solution--you can't have a two-state solution without Israel.
About 2,000 years ago, the Romans broke up some protests and drove the protesters off to Other Lands; during the intervening years, most o' those who were reasonably well behaved and thus were not exiled found a new religion.
This doesn't negate their property rights.
Israel has a right to exist, but it does not have a right to enact an unholy admixture of South Africa in the '60s and what the US did to the Native Americans.
You should remember that Israel got its start by driving off the British who resettled European Jews to Palestine - where the Palestinians initially welcomed them; they did this through terrorism, derailing troop trains and like behaviour. Then they started saying "Oh, you're not Jewish. Give me your land. No? <BOOM>"
Judaism is a religion, rather than a bloodline. They're matrilineal, though, so there can be some overlap.
The Palestinians share the bloodline of their oppressors, diluted though that of their oppressors might be after 2,000 years of intermariage with gentiles.
The Jews who were kicked out of Palestine were Palestinian, and their descendants are descended from Palestinians.
So are the Palestinians.
That Europe treated Jews like crap doesn't give Israel the right to pull a Heydrich on the Palestinians.
Also, should some Navajo youths start chanting that the US has no right to exist, I'm gonna give 'em a pass.
TRue Russell. no one hates Bibi and the Israeli right wing more than I and I especially despise the orthodox Jewish settlers.
However these demonstrations disguise disdain for the Jews. I deplore the term antisemitic, because it is a lie, based on fiction.
I don't believe in the TeNACh/Old Testament, I donn'tbelieve in Noah or his sons like shem, I don't believe in Abraham and his sons Isaac and Ishamael,but the Ashkenazi Jews, who even by their own lights are not descendants of Shem, but of Japeth, are descendants of Abrahams son Isaac, and the Arabs son of Ishamael, so by their own fiction Arabs and Jews are semites.
Mr. Farrar you are extremely consistent in seeing any issues presented through the prism of the world against you and Israel which move immediately to the forefront the victim role that many in the Jewish community had been exploiting since the 2nd world war. We might be commenting about the situation in Gaza, how we got there and the horrific consequences for Palestinians and for you these are comments against Israel. Blaming the victim, the Palestinians, for someone else actions is not only unfair but it's becoming an explanation that not many people around the world are accepting anymore; it's a hackneyed discourse that offer no solution or even room for discussion. This situation, undoubtedly, will cost Mr. Biden and the Democrats this election; thus, why not seek a middle point that will permit a dialogue and not the deafening silence that we are seeing daily.
Yep I have addressed the Jewish students earlier in a response to RR.
Take note that while there are liberal Jews, and pro Muslim Jews, there is no, and never has been any liberal or pro Jew Muslims.
And there is a reason for that. There are atheist Jews, Liberal Jews and orthodox jews, but there is no such thing as an atheist Muslim or a liberal Muslim.
Liberal when it comes to western (democratic) views about tolerance, but not on their home turf.
William, What research data are you using to support your stance? I worked as a nurse at UIHealth and worked together with many Jews and Muslims, My Muslim colleagues were very pro tolerance and that included supporting their Jewish colleagues. I believe if you will do a little research, you will definitely find atheists and liberal Muslims. People are people. They all poop, put their pants on the same way, bleed red, and want to keep families safe and prosperous. Defining any group by its worst members just makes no sense and furthers dividing stereotypes. I know these are scary times, but do you want to contribute to the problem or the solution?
And there's an overlying hatred for Palestinians. Evil Bibi had the nerve to call these HUMAN BEINGS animals and Amalekites that deserve to be destroyed. I don't give a darn what your nationality, ethnicity, race-a stupid made up construct created to subjugate certain humans-, religious beliefs or whatever other qualifier FLAWED HUMANS made up to separate us you are. Whoever you are, you're potentially MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. AND I LOVE YOU NO MATTER. This world and all these countries make up a failed "empire" that will fall just like all the others before it and not a moment to soon. The EXPERIMENT has FAILED.
Terri: I share your disdain for Bibi, and for the settlers that are harassing and killing the people in the West bank.
But in all fairness, Bibi is only echoing HAMAS and the Arabs. I guess you didn't know that their kids are being raised to consider Jews Vampires and vermin, and HAMAS goal, in their covenant, is to commit genocide of the the Jews (in the preamble and article 7 especially)
You see Terri, this is a religious war, but at the moment it is Jew v Muslim, If you read the Quran and hadiths as I have, you know it would be Islam v the world. Islam is triumphalist and in the minds of Muslims, this is only a setback, Inshallah, since it was stopped at Poitiers by Charles the Hammer and at the gates o Vienna, by Polish hussars.
And who gets killed in wars? The innocents, The allied bombs on Germany and Japan didn't just kill NAZI's and Japanese imperialists.
❤️ Reich ❤️:"The mistakes made at one point in time have an eerie way of re-emerging two generations later, as memories fade."
Me:"The mistakes made at ALL pointS in time have an eerie way of re-emerging like puddles that mask potholes, NOT BECAUSE memories fade.... OUR EGO BLOCKED US FROM SEEING OUR MISTAKES IN THE FIRST PLACE ...IF ALL WE NEEDED WAS MEMORY AND OR EDUCATION WE WOULDN'T NEED DEPROGRAMMING ( which we are sorely lacking).
Up to 60% of anxious people are cured by placebo but innocuous placebos can mutate into insidious placebos. Deprogramming is required to overcome our intellectual and emotional immaturity in this regard.
State Dependent Learning... similar to Lakoff's FrameLab?
Moms must hear baby's cry... Moms with accurate Empathy ignored their baby's cry when the baby's emotion was a mismatch... aka ANGRY MOMS CAN ONLY HEAR ANGER .. IGNORING BABY'S FEAR.... FEARFUL MOMS CAN ONLY HEAR FEAR... we evolved to have inaccurate empathy so Moms can hear both
The problem Power, lies with HAMAS, they started it by blood thirsty and up front and personal rape and murder of Jews, then the cowards carried hostages back to use as human shields, that didn't work and they use their own people as human shields.
Yahya Sinwar boasted that they are a nation of martyr's, martyrs in Islam are celebrated not mourned, but Yahya is a coward, he "martyr's" his own people, infants, children, women and hides behind them using so called Journalists with their videos and cell phones to sway the mind of ignorant westereners.
Every person with a cell phone is a journalist, and all they need is a helmet and vest with press. 100 Arab journalists in Gaza with 2 million people is ridiculous.
And the stats farmed out to non thinking westerners and accepted without question by the HAMAs "Ministry of Health" should be caveated as uncomfirmed by they are accepted wholesale by the stupid west, meanwhile even IDF video's are caveated "uncomfirmed"
And half of the so called 35,000 or whatever HAMAS claims are Jihadi's, fighters who were glad to give their lives as warriors for allah.
Scientists found Moms and Shrinks refusing SCIENTIFIC metrics are severely inaccurate though the law requires Shrinks to measure (89% of US psychologists refuse to measure.)
But you do. If you cared about ‘innocent’ deaths so much you would be protesting the slaughter of innocent people in China and Sudan. But you don’t. Because there are no Jews there. Also - the government of Gaza started a war and is letting its people die.
Pure rubbish! I do care about people being slaughtered everywhere that I know about. You seem to forget that there are jews protesting the slaughter too and they are hardly antisemitic! I'm sick of the nonsense you MAGAs are spreading.
"The PCPSR found that, compared to pre-war polling, support for Hamas had risen in Gaza and more than tripled in the West Bank, which has seen the highest levels in violence in years, with repeated deadly clashes between Israeli troops and settlers and Palestinians.
Fifty-two percent of Gazans and 85% of West Bank respondents - or 72% of Palestinian respondents overall - voiced satisfaction with the role of Hamas in the war. Only 11% of Palestinian voiced satisfaction with PA President Mahmoud Abbas."
So in otherwords, roughly half of Gazans supported Hamas as of December. Majority of Palestinians favoring Hamas aren't under their rule, but under PA.
Daniel, I am afraid I don’t know who you are responding to, but I definitely hear your hurt, fear, and anger. I am sorry you have had this experience, We would all benefit from listening, empathizing, and learning what another’s experience has been. It is often the experience of an entire group, short people, fat people, Jewish people, Muslim people, atheists, LGBTQ people, people of color, women, men who like pink, quiche, and being a stay at home Dad, immigrants, low income people, homeless people, and the list goes on. So many “very fine people” are just narcissistic sociopaths that know how to con. We need to call them out for who they are and support those who are working toward a multiracial pluralist. true democracy, there will always be greed, deceit, cruelty, but we can be buoyed by e late great good fight advocate,
John Lewis:
"My dear friends, your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union." and
"So I say to you: Don’t give up. Don’t give up on the things that have great meaning to you. Don’t get lost in a sea of despair. Stand up for what you believe in. Because…we are one people, one family, the human family. We all live in one house, the American house, the world house. We are Black. We are white. Hispanic, Asian American, Native American. We are one people."
Linda Querry: Be consistent. If you spell "Black" with a capital "B", then spell "white", "red", and all other races with capitals. Spell "White" with a capital "W". If we are one people, then the spelling of our names should reflect that oneness instead of separation.
Barbara. Sorry for the error in typing it was not intentional or meant to convey any meaning, We are all one people on spaceship Earth. Thank you for pointing out the error.
Fortunately, (or unfortunately) since voting is our most powerful tool in a democracy, I can be both lost in a sea of despair and still drag myself out to the polls to vote. If participation required more than this one minimal, very infrequent act, I would either not be able to muster the effort to manage it/them, or else, conversely, be less despairing.
How dare somebody disagree with you, right Daniel. It is this polarization that Mr Reich is talking about. Instead of name calling, why not describe your experiences and persuade us.
Daniel; you are one of the most combative, angry, offensive commentators on this blog. Anytime I write anything you personally disagree with, you go out of your way to slag me, call me a troll and even attempt to damage my credibility with direct lies about me to other contributors. If people don't like you, here or in real life (assuming you have one), then I can safely assume you have brought it upon yourself. So I certainly have no sympathy for you on the basis of your name and heritage - if this is your general attitude, then you are certainly making lots of enemies wherever you go!
And no, before you try it on again, this is NOT an ethnically driven comment I'm making. Assholes are assholes, wherever they might come from!
Presumably by interloper you mean someone with too much sense to live in America in current times?
As for the anti-American, I presume you mean I, and all foreigners, should have uncritical respect for a country that, btw, previously elected Trump and, despite that experience, stands a 50/50 chance of electing Trump again?
America, for good or ill, has importance for everyone in the World, particularly Western Europe and fellow Nato countries. The $ is the Reserve Currency, at least for the next decade. The purchasing power of American consumers is of world importance. Every time America fucks up, everyone in the world suffers.
So I would encourage more 'interlopers' from the rest of the world to contribute to blogs like these, so Americans understand that the rest of the world is concerned, is watching, and trying to understand the crazier decisions that Americans seem to make, time after time. It's a shame that more Americans don't dump their political blinkers, get out more, and see that many of their problems have already been solved in other countries.
And yes, I'd like many more interlopers to comment and criticise when Americans, living in their bubbles of self interest and arrogance, get things wrong. Again.
If that pisses you off, Daniel, I'd consider that a bonus! 😬
Or is it because you can’t make any reasonable argument to refute a point made by someone not necessarily in lockstep with your beliefs. So you simply call them “troll” or interloper” like some sort of child on the playground. It’s not just that you’re wrong a lot. You don’t think or empathize very much either.
You would help those who have indiscriminately murdered your mother, your father, your sisters, your brothers, your aunts, your uncles, your grandparents, your friends? Really? Thanks for revealing yourself as a coward. Hope your family knows who you truly are.
Robert here is one emotionally uninvolved persons view.
First my bonafides. I consider myself a progressive because
I am anti racist, and that means racism in the words, actions, mentality of anyone. Religion is not a race.
I am a propend of DEI and CRT, provided they are factual and not distorted or propaganda
I am for restraint of the power of money, and for economic opportunity, there is no such thing, never has been or will be equality because humans are not equal. That means I am pro labor, and labor rights, but not monopolization of or corruption of labor (i.e. Jimmy Hoffa and the teamsters)
I support the corporate death penalty, and charter laws that did have one.
Having said that. There are atheist Jews, liberal Jews, left wing Jews, right wing Jews and jews that could care less.
There are liberal Christians, left wing Christians, right wing Christians but no atheist Christians.
There are, and can not be, any atheist Muslims, or liberal Muslims, not if they are true Muslim.
There is only the Islam of the Quran, the haddiths and no one can modify them, alter them, or liberalize them without becoming an apostate and leaving Islam, and the penalty for that is death. So sayeth the Quran and hadiths, and Islamic law – Sharia.
Islamic law can be, and is vehemently enforce, hence Wahhabiyyah, Shia, Taliban (word means Student), DAESH (ISIS, ISIL, ISK and other salafist movements.
Salafism is what in America is called originlism, it is the strictly applied laws of Islam. There is a North American counterpart called Dominionism and another called Evangelicalism.
You Robert, I take as a liberal Jew, open minded, open handed, while there are counterparts in Christianity, I can think of none in Islam.
I do know Muslims who live in the west or born of Muslim parent(s), but they are liberal only to the extent of the liberal political environment, afford them, by western culture. And indeed there are some culutal Muslims like Irshad Manji, the atheist lesbian, who declares herself a Muslim, but does so safely in the U.S, She would never speak or act out in an Islamic country, not even Malyaysia, she would wind up 10 years in prison.
There are pro Palestinian Jews, but you will never find a pro Jew Muslim.
There are Muslim hosts on TV, or hosts who have at least one Muslim parent, like Christiane Amanpour, but their partisanship bleeds through to a person they are loyal parts of the ummah. They will mention, in passing, the horrors of HAMAS, as they have to, but they dwell at length on the sins of Israel.
Even prominent Jews, like yourself, will take the side of HAMAS, not directly, but indirectly by washing over the horror of Yahya Sinwar and the HAMAS leadership, who have brought down hell on their people by using them as human shields and Jews as hostages.
I have yet to see a similar counterpart to this equanimity or outrage on the part of the Muslims, be they Arab, Iranian,Malaysian or Caucasian. (Caucasian Muslims are Chechniyans, Circassians, Azerbaijani's, and the like)
Daniel I hear you too. Yes it surely IS anti-semitism. How do I know, only from standing beside and with Jewish friends, being the mutual recipient of the foul, nasty slander and hatred because of who “they” assumed we all were, based on what? Guesses, assumptions, appearances, location? The Only Fact to me was it was INEXCUSABLE, DISGUSTING, SICKENING, OUTRAGEOUS, for anyone to receive just for standing and chatting with friends. The feelings of POWERLESSNESS & UNFAIRNESS felt overwhelming to me for both my friends and myself.
I know them well, they’re from my home town. We could be sisters we have so much in common. An attack on them, is an attack on me, is how I felt. As I felt again on October 7, invasion, rampage, violations to awful to repeat…
I’m not able to walk in your shoes, they’re probably too big for me. My own walk has included severe allergic reactions that left me with ugly visible side effects, as a pre-teen, early teen, that drew cruel, taunting, slanderous ridicule meant to humiliate, for looking different, even scary. Hurt and Angry, filled with embarrassment and shame,
I stuffed the pain of rejection and anger. Unable to swear, to vent just wasn’t done by girls back then.
Even now, you’re being reminded expression of anger needs a more private outlet. Though many people empathize with how and why you are, finding a good support system will be a gift you can give yourself. So you’re not having to deal with the anger yourself. That can be really helpful. In person, or even with Zoom. Finding others who’ve walked, are walking similar paths and care.
Excuse me but sometimes I just have to say it. Bullshit! FYI, in the US anti-semitism has existed on our campuses all my 63 years, and as a college professors, we had a difficult time getting administrators to take it seriously. They don’t want to hear about it anymore than they wanted to hear about the racism against Black and other people of color - it disrupted the image they wanted to project to parents and donors.
And while there is agreement that some students have spewed ugly anti-Semitic rhetoric - but I don’t include in that category students criticizing the Israel government. In fact, rather than “Arabs” organizing on campuses, I’ve seen more references to Jewish student groups organizing or co-organizing these demonstrations.
And we do know who instigated the bulk of violence that took place on these campuses in response to the Demonstrations - counter protesters and militarized police in riot gear.
Let me also point out that these demonstrations are taking place on college campuses, where teaching & learning takes place. I’ve read accounts of faculty who have engaged the student demonstrators in discussions, challenging them to expand their understanding of the relevant issues.
As a college professor, I would encourage these demonstrators to consider the various perspectives of Jewish peers, faculty, staff and others; to reflect on how what is called the “inherited trauma” of Jewish people, that came out of a history of pogroms & the Holocaust shape how they perceive the campus demonstrators, & their support of Palestinians in Gaza. Maybe they can learn more about Zionism, and the different meanings it has for Jewish people in the US, in Israel and around the world. The more these students learn about the social-Historical context of Israel’s war in Gaza, including the very brutal & deadly October attack on Israeli military installations and civilian communities by armed members of Hamas, the more informed their proposed demands will be.
And undoubtedly, if for no other reason than the very strong reactions of politicians to the Student Demonstrations, these young people are learning that there are a number of different, maybe competing, agendas and interests involved in the relationship between Israel and Palestinians.
I know some of these topics are being discussed amongst demonstrators, and I know that many faculty are encouraging this process: this is exactly the kind of learning that one would expect to take place on college campuses, especially when students feel so strongly about an issue that they willing to take a very public stand. It’s not about trying to convince students how right or wrong they are; it’s about the value of greater understanding, of knowledge, and its vital role in creating viable ways to end the suffering of Palestinians while respecting & perhaps, attending to, the concerns of all those involved.
I want to support these students for taking a stand against the killing of civilians in Gaza and questioning Americas role in the war. They are engaged, & motivated by compassion, an interest in justice and a desire to be active citizens who have a right to demonstrate and speak their minds. But I also want them to listen as well as speak, to learn as well as teach, and to hold to their principles and convictions, but to remain open to the possibility that they don’t necessarily know everything there is to know on the subject. And I hope they remember that injustice cannot be fought with the weapon of hate; give the same respect to others that they ask for themselves
I’m thrilled to see students being aware of the suffering & killing of Palestinian civilians - as parents, shouldn’t we be proud our children for seeing the contradiction between the values and principles of our country and the killing of so many civilian women and children in Gaza? I’m proud of the large majority of these students, who have remained peaceful and nonviolent, even when violently attacked by others. I’m relieved that this generation of students refuse to just avert their eyes, to ignore the injustice of what is happening to Palestinians. And I’m glad that the student demonstrators have professors willjng to intellectually challenge them, then stand arm in arm to protect them from the violence of police
I hope people can remember that a majority of demonstrators are not attacking Jewish students (per actual Jewish students on these campuses). Most of the demonstrators are taking a position of peace, many along side of their Jewish peers. And, in many cases, these students are learning even as they protest. And if, or when, some amongst them foolishly use hateful language of anti-semitism that threatens harm to their Jewish peers, demonstrators have called them out, and attempted to distance themselves for such nonsense. It seems that the majority of demonstrators understand that peace and justice will not arise out of hate.
A final thought - I just hope the most powerful lesson learned by these young people is NOT that those in leadership positions should be allowed to arbitrarily abuse their power against student demonstrators who support Palestinians, while ignoring the violence of counter protestors (many of whom are probably not Jewish). The arbitrary abuse of power is the foundation of tyranny, not freedom
Believe what you want to believe, but these protestors are playing into Trump's and the fascist rights hands.
They and the hundreds of thousands of Muslims, and blacks, that said that they won't vote for Biden.
That means Trump will be #46, and Project 2025 will be the guidebook, and that means that your beloved Muslims will be deported, and blacks will find all of their civil rights gains eroded.
Are you familiar with the horseshoe effect? It is when the left and right meet in a common cause, and the common cause is to teach Biden and the Democrats a lesson, and guess who will pay the price if their bullshit causes Trump to win? They will.
You might appreciate this article from the Forward Why campus protests aren't helping anyone.
That is NOT AT ALL the underlying motivation. I get so sick and tired of the distortions. Many thousands of men, women and children are being killed in Gaza, and they have done no wrong! That’s what the protests are all about.
How naive. Of course it's anti-semitism. The oldest hatred that lives like a bacteria just below the surface, ready to emerge whenever there is blame to cast. Many of us are finally waking up and saying -- who cares? Dislike me; hate me -- I don't need your approval. We don't need your approval. We will continue to be the highly moral, highly productive people we've always been (not that we're perfect; who is?). Maybe that's what drives everyone crazy.
Antisemites are using the genuine concerns of pro-Palestinians to promote their policies of hatred. They like it when people get confused and call pro-Palestinians Antisemites.
I will never forget the AIDS pandemic. Never. I was a med student and house officer during the first years. We had nothing to offer except compassion and a promise that we would be there till the bitter end. It was a death sentence.
I will never forgive Reagan for his failure to act. He fiddled while Rome burned. Just like trump did with Covid.
Reagan was a disaster. In addition to botching the response to HIV, he gave us trickle down economics. During the last 40 years, that policy has made the already wealthy morbidly rich, the poor really poor, and hollowed out the middle class. And oh by the way, Reagan had clinical signs of dementia during the last 6 years of his presidency.
OMG, yes. What a terrifying time! The boy who took me to my prom was a victim, and so many others I knew and loved! Until "Magic" Johnson, I knew of no one who survived it. And didn't even know about Drs Fauci and Bryx until they became foils for the idiot trump!
I was just about to make that point when I read it. THIS IS OUR SECOND PANDEMIC. So far I have survived both, but lost many friends to AIDS, & 1 to COVID (a young doctor who died on duty).
Please don't forget that AIDS has claimed the lives of just over 700,000 Americans over the past 40 years. By comparison, Covid-19 has claimed 1.2 million American lives in 4 years.
Many dying of Covid had to die alone -- to prevent the risk of infecting others. That's pretty devastating.
No question. My comment was in reference to Reich stating Covid is the only pandemic in our lifetime. He edited the piece to remove that after I made this comment.
I’ve been thinking about your comparison of AIDS vs. Covid, and while Covid has resulted in more deaths in the first four years, we need to remember how deadly AIDS was before effective treatments were developed in the early 2000s. In the first 15 years of AIDS, more than 60% of those with HIV died. That number is staggering compared to Covid, which I’ve contracted 3 times over the last 3 years. If I’d contracted HIV in the mid-1980s, it is highly unlikely I would have died. We are very lucky HIV was not airborne, as it was quite devastating.
I assumed that AIDS was not a pandemic that the vast majority of Reich's students experienced personally -- thinking that they're in their early 20s. Relatively speaking, AIDS is not very transmissible, and much more easily preventable.
The west was not hit with another variant of CoV -- MERS -- fortunately. MERS has a fatality rate of close to 40% with no vaccine available yet.
I should add that, for people with co-morbidities and the elderly, Covid-19 fatalities reach the level of AIDS or MERS.
Exactly right! A non-vote is EQUAL TO a vote for INSURRECTION and THE DEATH OF DEMOCRACY. He has ALREADY TOLD US VERBATIM that he WILL become a dictator.
Keep in mind that another reason people might not be inclined to vote at all is because no sane, stable society should ever get to the point that not voting is a vote for fascism and theocracy. That fact that the U.S. is even in this position - *for the second fucking time in a decade*- may validly lead them to just say fuck it all. Because even if Trump loses, the bloodlust for fascism and xtian white male supremacy is not going to evaporate. It will very likely only be greatly heightened. At least 30% of this country *wants* to turn the U.S. into a third world country, *wants* to turn the U.S. into Franco's Spain or Mussolini's Italy or Putin's Russia. Who wouldn't throw their hands up in despair at this point?
First, Constance, 30% of this country is not a majority, so there's that.
Second, if a non-vote is a vote for fascism and theocracy, why not vote for the inverse? Is Biden a fascist or a theocrat? No. And in spite of it all, he has achieved remarkable success in stemming the flow of fascism and theocracy.
So you have a point that it is easy to get dispirited and feel a deep despair when the meek side appears to be ineffective against loud braggards who can only run one thing: Their mouth. but that is a point that has to be made, over an over until Nov.2024.
Trump didn't get the popular vote in 2016 or in 2020, and as his real persona is coming into relief, it is very doubtful that he will win the popular vote in 2024. The non-presidential elections in between have not been kind to MAGA extremists over all.
You are fearful that the bloodlust for fascism and Xtian white male supremacy will not extinguish just because Trump and the MAGA wing will lose again.
It is OK to be fearful, because indeed, we are going through a crisis like we've never seen.
The antidote is to use your natural fear to strengthen your resolve to communicate every chance you get.
Speak you your MoCs, especially if they are Republicans. And I mean SPEAK. Don't bother to yell or you will get nowhere. At the local level, these Republicans, who may not all embrace MAGA madness won't be so sure of themselves and if you prepare well, you will score points. Go back for every issue where you disagree. Encourage them to leave their Party, even if you think it is futile. Have their histrionics swayed you? No, because histrionics do not work well. It is up to us to convince them. That is an important skill in itself. Hone that skill. You do not need to be confrontational As a matter of fact, you win the argument when THEY start yelling. Speak softly, and you do not even need to carry a big stick: It is the relentlessness that gets them. You may be tired, but I guarantee they are too.
First, Cecile, Trump won the 2016 election so 30% is damn well functioning as a majority. In case you haven't noticed, the popular vote is meaningless. I am not fearful, I know for a fact based on all evidence. Did the virulent racism in society disappear after Obama left the White House? No - it became exponentially more open, more violent, and more acceptable in the open. This was not a fad, it will not fade away, this was not a one-off, this is the American populace now. And one of the reasons the fate of democracy is imperiled is the complacency of people swearing that if we just vote it will all turn around and go away.
He had 45.9%, in 2016, so 30% represents a decline. The popular vote is meaningless because of the Electoral College and because of Russian interference through Manafort, who was and still is a agent of Putin, if Trump puts him back in play. I do stand for the elimination of the Electoral College, as I imagine you do too.
Indeed, this racism is not a fad. It wasn't during WWII either. Racism has always ebbed and flowed here. My State of Wisconsin, with a fairly important German population almost became a German speaking State [They missed by one vote only!] Charles Lindberg was a famous pro-Nazi aviator. Here is a link for more on the topic.:
As far as "the complacency of people swearing that if we just vote it will all turn around and go away", I wonder what you are advocating? Violence?
On the extreme right, there are folks who want a new Civil War [which they evoke romantically as " The Lost Cause"] "and a strong authoritarian figure like Trump as a means of avenging perceived wrongs, but I suspect they are few and far between. If they are not, and we do get into a Civil War, [as it is hard to stop folks who want to fight with you], remember that they are only 30%. That makes the rest of us close to 70%. Personally, if it comes to that, political figures who brought us there are the first on my list [and I have one].
I won't *choose* war, but I'll be ready. If that is being complacent, then I am.
Also, it is easy to be for a war when bullets are not flying and your folks are relatively safe. It is quite another when the war comes to your village. All the Steve Bannons, Manaforts, Trumps, Boeberts, Gozars, Kristi Noems etc. have a habit of fading in the woodwork when things "get serious". It is easy to be tough with a puppy to prove your 2nd amendment creds. It is harder when the puppy shoots back... Just saying.
Yo will be ready for war with what Cecile, your weapons, your combat training, your following? Oh, you mean your keyboard, well your keyboard will be used to ferret out leftists and liberals
This election will be won or lost in the swing states. there were eight in 2020, there are only five now, AZ, NV, MI, PA, WI. Arizona and Nevada are not as important as the other three.
There are 226 electoral votes in Democrat and Democrat leaning states, 235 in Republican and Republican leaning state. It takes 270 electoral votes to win.
Michigan and PA have 34, 15 for MI, 19 for PA. WI has 11.
Since the 2020 election Republican legislatures have passed over 100 voter suppression laws, and those that have been Vetoed by Democratic governors, like NC have been overriden by Republican legislatures.
The RNC is recruiting one hundred thousand armed poll watchers to intimidate people of color.
Threats of violence have driven honest election officials out of office, and the vacancies have been filled with MAGAts.
We are at war already.
Muslims and young black males have threatened to sit out the election or as the blacks threaten to vote for Cornell West. They are, in fact, voting for Trump.
There are hundreds of thousands of Muslims in WI, MI, PA, and Biden won those states in 2020 by tens of thousands.
I am sure that you can do basic arithmetic.
Guess who wins the election? Trump. Guess who is responsible Muslims and young black males. By giving Biden the finger and saying Fuck Biden, they have just taken a healthy dump in their own mess kit, because Trump hates Muslims and blacks as much as he hates dogs,
It doesn't matter then, who is to blame, because he and the Heritage Foundation have put together a plan to nullify the Constitution and American jurisprudence.
Those petulant Muslims and Blacks will find that they have drawn the short straw and the hammer comes down on their heads (mine too damn it, as I am an enemy of fascists)
So I am pissed at these petulant, ignorant reactionaries.
William, I agree with most of everything you say. However, Since I live in Wisconsin, I'd be remiss if I didn't correct the record: We have 10 electoral votes, not 11.
Since the last Presidential, we have turned our Supreme Court a tad more liberal and new maps have resulted that will be just a bit more favorable to Democrats than they were.
I don't feel that much has changed since then regarding this metric.
I'm sure you are aware of the dangers of making generalizations.
As of 2022, there are 180,161 black males in our State, and you can surmise about that many black females, who by and large are definitely leaning Democratic. Our total population is 5.9 Million in 2024. We are well aware of the shenanigans of the RNC regarding intimidation at the polls. That intimidation is illegal & will be recorded, and hopefully prosecuted if it happens.
Biden won my State by just over 21,000 votes, so it wasn't particularly close. Nevertheless, MAGATS demanded recounts and audits and lost all of them. One recount was even ordered by Trump and his own people didn't find anything fishy.
Kenneth Chesebro who is from Wisconsin worked very hard on the Fake Electors scheme but he confessed in Georgia, I believe that he was involved and his accomplices had to admit as well that they participated in the scheme in exchange for dropping the millions of dollars in penalty and the possible jailtime, and they will no longer serve as electors in Wisconsin. We do still have one, Mr. Spindell, to boot from the Election Commission. I'm waiting for the Attorney General, Josh Kaul, technically a Democrat to get off his you know what.
This said, my feeling is that Biden will win the popular vote again. He really impressed a lot of workers by walking the picket line, so there is progress on this front too.
I do agree with you also on Trump's feelings towards blacks and Muslims, and with the abortion question which impacts especially those who have a tough time getting reproductive care, I'd be extremely surprised if Trump won them over.
Much more problematic is indeed the Heritage Foundation problem. We are doing our best to publicize what Project 2025 is all about, and as the election approaches, many are getting horrified by this current of fascism sweeping the Nation.
I too am supremely pissed at petulant and ignorant reactionaries, be they white, black, Latinos, male or females, young or old, rich or poor. I'm with you!
Oh, how novel: an attempt at insulting! And so witty, too. Not a simple fact or a countering argument, no. Not a scintilla of evidence based diatribe? And with a fake name like crazyjoecus, you are asking me to check into an asylum. You don't have much self awareness, do you? Don't start a battle of wits when you are so obviously unarmed.
Cecile, I do think that Biden is a fascist. The leaders of the Democratic party all support the fascist ideology. I have to vote for Democratic fascism because Donald represents dictatorship fascism! Not voting or voting for anyone else is a vote for Donald and a dystopian future.
If you read this definition, you can see that the word fascist does not apply to Democrats or to Democracy.
On the other hand, there is a lot of overlap between autocracy and fascism.
If you mean "believers in a more centralized Government", that I can go with:
It makes sense: Certain things are done better with a centralized government, like National Defense, or road construction or human rights, especially when it comes to equitable Laws among the People. We have faltered many times as a Democracy and we must keep trying to "form a more perfect Union".
But Democratic Fascism is an oxymoron, Bob. I'm not sure where you get the idea that leaders of the Democratic Party all support fascism as an ideology. They don't, I don't.
A Dictatorship is a form of fascism, and in a way, is even more centralized than what Republicans deplore as our Federal "Centralized Government". In a Dictatorship, there is only one man who has all authority and controls everything at his pleasure. It is darn close to a Monarchy, minus the "De Deo Gratia" (By the Grace of God) I'm happy to see that you would not go for that.
I understand why millions feel left behind due to trickle down economics that only flooded that top 5%. I'm barely scraping by on 2pensions BUT I'm not spending my last decade on earth in Trump run chaos that resembles Hungary👎 I'm voting straight Dem. Most Repubs are traitors led by narcissist DJShitzpants
Joe Biden Has Finished Talking to Netanyahu Now Joe Biden Will Slow Walk The War Supplies Until More Progress Toward Ending the War originallyTakes Place. Actions Or The Deliberate Lack of Action Speaks Louder Than Words… Netanyahu Loses…
I hope you are correct, Citizen J. But more weapons to Netanyahu should never have been approved.. Helping folks through the rigors of War is noble.
Giving them aid and comfort in contravention of the Leahy Law is illegal and unacceptable, IMHO.
The “Leahy Laws” prohibit U.S. assistance to foreign security force units when there is credible information that the unit has committed a “gross violation of human rights” (GVHR). Pursuant to the laws, before providing assistance, the U.S. government vets potential recipients for information about GVHR involvement.
Difficult to make a call from afar about giving IDF weapons but Promising the Weapons and only giving some weapons and slowing down the delivery of more weapons will have a chilling influence on the Government. Biden is finished talking he is asserting control the beginning of the end for Netanyahu…
The non voters are stupid, they live in an alternate reality, they think that they can flip Biden the finger, and that four years later after the Democrats have learned their lesson, the Dems will come crawling back to them begging for votes.;
They chose to not believe or be unaware that 2024, if Trump wins, will be the last somewhat free election,. If Trump wins he and Project 2026 will model this country after Hungary and Russia, and it will be the beginning of a Trump family dynasty, unless there is an in house coup, because Trump has served his purpose.
That’s the sorriest excuse I’ve ever heard. You want to let a minority of the country take us into fascism? Good Lord! Why do you even get up in the morning? Stay in bed, wimp.
I see no trend toward white supremacy this administration is bending over backwards to be inclusive to people of color. The so called universities that are protesting admit very few white males🧐
Just because people are in despair and feel like they'd like to chuck it all doesn't mean they should or will. Jeezus....have you no sense of the history of this country? Washington is probably turning over in his grave. What a lightweight you appear to be.
Yes. The student rampages and even Mr. Trump's trial are a distraction from what Republicans hope to achieve: a neofascist state. Sounds extreme? You'd think so, wouldn't you?
How many voters know what the Republican roadmap is? Time Magazine rolled out most of it last week, with interviews of Mr. Trump and some of his colleagues/staff/advisors:
Lately, Repubicans are also talking about giving a president ability to override the independence of the Federal Reserve Bank. What do you think this would do to the US economy? To the Dow Jones? to your savings?
WAMC Roundtable has a discussion that addresses what will happen if Mr. Trump becomes president and is permitted to hink around with the independence of the Federal Reserve Bank, as Republican proposals have been reported on by the Wall Street Journal this week:
[start at @ 43:00 on the audio for discussion on inflation]
America will default in no time and China will become the world reserve currency is my best guess? Then the magas can fight hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese, if the chinese think there's anything worth taking? It would be like conquering a mental institution.
I don't think China will be able to achieve much more than it already has. It too has an ageing population, very high debt levels, produces a small proportion of its own energy, and has been totally dependent on Western inward investment and Western markets buying goods.
I suspect an American/Western recession or collapse will also drive a Chinese recession or collapse, and probably internal political problems that are already barely kept under control. In short, China's route to world domination is by no means set in stone.
no question China has some really big challenges. Never thought Chinese #1 was a slam dunk. Watching to see how Xi's desire for control will hold China back. Does accelerating technology mean authoritarian states simply can't compete? (they have to steal).
"The Federal Reserve System is not ‘owned’ by anyone and is not a private, profit-making institution. Instead, it is an independent entity within the government, having both public purposes and private aspects.”
I am a fan of Chris Martenson's work, and I recommend The Accelerated Crash Course on Youtube - I used to use an earlier version to teach economics and business to students.
A fact, one glossed over and obfuscated by "Palestinian" and Muslim partisans. Ayman Mohyeldin on MSNBC, he blamed Biden. That is no different than blaming the parents because the kid ran away for the trouble they have incurred for making a poor personal choice, but our modern pop psychology promotes the you made me do it mentality.
Anyway it is a waste of time trying to avoid responsibility, because Trump has promised to deport Muslims, even those born here. If you don't think he will or can, then you haven't read Project 2025, or noticed that it is his Supreme Court and by and large his Judiciary.
In the short term, speak up: To your friends, to your Members Of Congress, both Rs and Ds, hone your message, encourage your friends to vote blue from top to bottom. [I have a local R who is just a bit better, but when he pays his dues, he pays them to the RNC, so out he goes.]
Medium term you vote blue. Of two things one: either Trump wins of Biden wins. If Biden wins, encourage him and his Party to make the changes that will keep our Democracy safe from the likes of Trump. If we lose and Trump wins, Trump will attack us {women, blacks, Muslims Gays transgenders, non Xtians etc. Then we will have a bloody Civil War because it is impossible to stay at Peace when someone is waging war on us/US.
If that happens, get ready for battle, the kind that Giuliani talked about at the Ellipse on January 6th: "Mortal combat". Pick your targets carefully: 'elected' officials of the opposite Party, not civilians who were conned by Trump. But you don't want to be the one who fires the first shot: Keep your cool.
Cecile, I sincerely hope you are wrong about having another bloody civil war. I think is is more likely that our existing institutions — judicial system *including DoJ and judges right up to the Supremes) will stop the wholesale dismantling of government by the forces of chaos in the “Project 2025” Republican camp.
As a side note, I try to be judicious in my wording when making comments , though not always meeting with success. I think it is important to bear in mind that it is very easy for people to get wrapped up in “what if” scenarios that can lead them to make poor decisions, by anticipating the worst case outcomes of an election. (For this reason I try to avoid using colorful warfare metaphors like “weaponization” of the media, or “firing the first shot” or Giuliani’s “mortal combat”. Applying the language of warfare to political campaigns is hyperbole, firstly, but more importantly it amps up the emotions, typically resulting in a decline of reasonable discourse and perspective. On the other hand, if you are really expecting to get into a gunfight, you probably don’t want to tell the other guy that you are, literally, “locked and loaded.” Just sayin’.
Spot on. I really hope that history doesn’t repeat/rhyme this year. We can not afford to hand the election to Trump.
To the protesters:
I empathize.
I vividly remember how it felt during the late 60’s as Robert writes.
I implore you, set aside your anger/frustration/ despair and VOTE BLUE.
We failed to see the forest for the trees. Please do not make the same mistake.
VOTE BLUE and live to fight another day. It is your best chance to create change. I hope that you will all be smarter than we were. Please, make the pragmatic choice.
Yes! Please young people…..vote, and vote blue. Take it also from this boomer, we know your anger is justified. Don’t give in and don’t give up. We screwed up by not forcing changes earlier, we got too comfortable.
Sorry, but our generation has created monsters. The poet Yeats would call them “rough beasts”. Radical changes are needed now. Radical, as in ‘to the root of’ , (not the word radical as used by Fox News to describe lefties).
We CANT let Trump win. If he does it’s over we all lose. Not hyperbole hold your nose and vote blue.
The changing of the old guard needs to accelerate. You can have a democracy (trust me you do), or you can have the country’s wealth in the hands of a few. You cannot have both.
Cueing Frank Wilhoit: Conservatism consists of only one premise: there must be an inner group that makes the laws but are not bound by them, and an outer group that is bound by laws but cannot help make them.
Those in power never give it up voluntarily.
My biggest regret and disappointment is our current Scotus, it is a huge roadblock.
The tide is staring to change, Trump is going down.
Bombay Troubadour, great post! Please share it with young people. Perhaps through social media. They need more wisdom voices to outweigh all of the loud and unwise elder voices/actions.
Maybe (some of) the student protestors are on to something, maybe they think killing of innocents is wrong everywhere. Maybe they think it’s weird to use our taxpayers dollars to support a war at the same time send aid. Reminds of that Bowie song.
“And these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds, are immune to your consultations. They’re quite aware of what they’re goin through”
You rightfully make it clear to VOTE BLUE it’s not just the top of the ticket, it’s from school boards, city councils and State Government up. The other side wants book bans in schools and libraries, to take away women’s health choices. Healthcare, social security and Medicare, to suppress voting, to gerrymander themselves in forever, dominate the courts, oppose fair tax policies, etc.
Sky 777, outstanding message, so geniunely from the heart! Would love to see that as a letter to young people on social media and billboards. Perhaps you could put it on social media. Voices of wisdom are desperately needed to counter the awful ones.
Sky 777, thanks, I'm not on social media either. But that's okay. You already put it out into the uniiverse and it's having positive effects. Exactly, what we all need. I hope it ripples far and wide.
There is never a good safe time to have children. You just have them and deal with what comes your way…
War , Disease, Divorce are just details to fill the background. Your job as parents is to teach your children how To Fight , when to fight when not to fight How to Read Write do arithmetic…
Get them ready to survive on their own and never expect them to be Grateful or to thank you for your sacrifices or efforts on their behalf…
Your payment is the Journey what they won’t Groke until your Aged and/or Dead…
You are right about never a safe time. But if Trump and his enablers are elected, democracy and the freedoms we take for granted are over. See Project 2025. See the recent Time interviews with trump.
If Trump wins, your children and grandchildren will someday ask you, “How could you have let this happen?” What answer will you have for them? Oh I didn’t vote (or voted third party) because Biden was a Zionist. Or will you be able to say, I did everything I could do to reelect Biden/Harris including voting blue up and down the ballot.
I was in undergrad school at Boston University in the late 60s and participated a bit in the Vietnam War protests; also saw the SDS's involvement and student leaders' attempts to keep them from manipulating the actual student protest movement. Now I'm a retired philosophy professor and see this generation waking up to political injustice, power grabs by the obscenely rich, and the growing inequalities in our country. Good for them!! One thing my older perspective has given me is a great desire to participate in our democracy by volunteering to get voters involved and voting. I hope you can tell your students that it's possible to continue to hope for our democracy, and those of us who went through the turbulent 60s are still working for the cause. If we can do it, they can!
I went through the 60 and Vietnam and civil rights , assassinations criminal acts are not prosecuted god will not intervene
Most of the political crap espoused by both parties was self serving and pointless. Many of us were scared by he era and the war yet we are still alive .
Good guys in Poltics’s get crippled and expelled right away…
Cut out your own life and don’t be overly concerned about the political BS they are all crooks serving themselves vote but don’t get your hopes up…
I graduated from Cal in 1977. It was a good time for me at least. But today is awful, especially for young people, but truly for most of us. I hope we dodge a bullet come November and work our way back to sanity and peace.
I graduated from CU Boulder in '77, and I too felt very lucky to study in such a sane and peaceful place, a sheltered beautiful, privileged place, but I dont think the US then or now is generally anything like that for most people, and I dont think it will be in the future. I'm voting for Jill Stein if shes on the ballot.
I’m voting for Biden since he’s the only possible way to keep dictator Trump from destroying the US. Just another lesser of two evils like most elections I have been eligible to vote in. I wish we had better options but Jill Stein isn’t one.
Why dont you think Jill Stein is a better option than Joe Biden? Is it because you dont agree with her policies, or is it just that you think she has no chance of winning, and therefore a vote for Jill is like not voting at all ?
Thank you Robert Reich for telling it like it was for all of us in college in the 1960's. We too felt disillusioned, but now realize that being pissed off at our government, not voting (Idid vote though) and a host of other ills, many of which have still not been resolved like racism, sexism and ageism as well as intolerance religiously, DID NOTHING TO CHANGE THE SITUATIONS. It's by voting in better people, who have a vision for this country like Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and may others that things will change. Being angry does nothing but leave you treading water. Get out and vote people, your country and life depend upon it.
Americans of previous generations have voluntarily left civvy life to go fight wars, so that the rest of us can vote for the people and policies they prefer. Even if it comes down to picking “the least worst” choice, voting is a duty that we cannot shirk. I believe that if you can’t bring yourself to vote for a candidate with a D or R next to their name, a protest vote can still make a statement. Vote for Mickey Mouse if you must (though I’d go for Jed Bartlet), but at least show up and vote.
As a Kent grad, I agree with you. I’m glad students have become involved and voice their concerns about the slaughter in Gaza. I do not believe most of them are antisemitic. There are always those outsiders who cause trouble. We must never repeat the mistakes of May4, 1970. Killing and wounding peaceful protesters is never acceptable.
Dale, your comment is timely: just this morning Senator Tom Cotton stated that the current student protests are "little Gazas,." to be dealt accordingly
...T**** tried that in Portland OR in July of 2020 whe he sent federal marshals and for some odd reason CBP officers (which included their BORTAC special agents).
By the end of june protests in front of the Justice Centre had dwindled in size with crowds numbering a at best hundred or so people. T****'s action only escalated the situation drawing out more militant anti authoritarian protesters and anarchists who perpetrated much of the vandalism that ensued . The local police for the most part stood in the background allowing federal officers to confront and storm the protests as well as an encampment on one of the park blocks across form the Federal Courthouse, frequently dousing the area with CS gas as well as using flsahbangs, pepper rounds, and 40mm rubber bullets many also had military rifles with live ammo slung over their shoulders. Their primary purpose was to guard the Federal Courthouse, however they made frequent wide sweeps which would go for blocks and late declare large areas of downtown "off limits". Meanwhile BORTAC agents in unmarked rental vans would randomly abduct people off the streets. None of the agents deployed were trained in crowd control.
The mayhem lasted for about a month before the Governor orders the federal personnel to leave the city. Afterwards the more emboldened police department let loose with its Rapid Response Team took which used , using similar tactics that the feds employes along with acting like thugs trampling and beating up not only protesters but members of the independent media, first aid volunteers and even legal observers. I jet;y june fo th next year the unit disbanded after being charges with use of excessive force.
A number of people (elf included) view this as a "dry run" for further such actions in other cities that T**** threatened to do.
That month definitely was a dystopian experience.
Had he not deployed the federal officers the protests would have likely continued to dwindle save for occasional demonstrations south of the city centre (which were smaller) at the local ICE facility over his anti immigration policy that were separate from the downtown activity.
Tell your student this: The schools are reverberating with slogans such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” which to many ears means “Destroy the state of Israel and kill, expel, or subjugate its Jewish inhabitants.” We hear chants of “Globalize the Intifada,” which translates as “Bring mass murder to Jews everywhere on Earth.” We hear Jews blamed by association for every problem from police brutality to climate change—even both of those things at once. We see checkpoints on campus where Jews are quizzed on their beliefs before they are allowed to approach the university library. Why do you exclude this from your analysis of what students need to hear?
You are using selective sloganing. The protests are NOT about Jews, but the government of Netanyahu who seem to have forgotten the terrible genocide plans that the Nazis tried to eliminate them. They didn't fortunately, and neither will the Israelis eliminate Hamas. But the killing of innocent mostly women and children IS HORRIFIC, as horrific as murdering 6 million Jews. Also realize that many of the protests have been invaded by fear mongering outsiders who aren't even students at all. Prejudice on so many levels is rampant in this country fostered by people who are ignorant, fearful and uninformed about how settle differences. Violence is their main objective and creating chaos. Remain calm and vote FOR President Biden as he is quickly going to come around to being one catalyst for getting rid of Netanyahu and helping dissatisfied Israelis change their Prime Minister. Violence only begets more violence.
Thanks for a thoughtful comment. To use an old saying, you have an even keel when so many people are bombastic. I can be as argumentative as the next person, but this is a time for a measured response…which is where Biden’s experience comes into play. No immediate feel good comments, but does the hard work behind closed doors while shadow boxing a psycho MAGA maniac for the 2024 Presidency.
Biden better hurry up, as the killing in Gaza continues apace. Between him and androgynous Anthony Blinken all I read and hear from them is talk devoid of action while the killings in Gaza continue. How can they sleep with themselves?
Biden did not create the issue in the Middle East. Biden did not make Israel an American ally. Biden did not kill tens of thousands of Gazans - let alone give the order to do so. He is solely the president of the United States - voted there by tens of millions of Americans. However, by your logic, anyone that voted for Biden is also responsible for what is going on. So…are you ashamed?
Agreed BB Netanyahu. Is The Problem from attacking the USS Liberty ship and killing American Sailors was his start in wholesale murder; Gaza is His Latest Accomplishment .
Hitler SS provided the Blueprints and BBN Netanyahu has gone to New Lengths of Creating Hell On Earth Exclusively for GAZA…
Joe Biden Has Finished Talking to Netanyahu Now Joe Biden Will Slow Walk The War Supplies Until More Progress Toward Ending the War originallyTakes Place. Actions Or The Deliberate Lack of Action Speaks Louder Than Words… Netanyahu Loses…
To point out what should be obvious in an attempt to deescalate armchair experts, support for Israel and Israelis is separate from nor approval of its current leader. Likewise support for Palestine and Palestinians is separate from nor approval of Hamas.
Well, Alan, I hear you and yes, these are hurtful statements that may cause you a lot of anxiety. In war, it is always scary to hear that folks who live near you make hateful statements. I am not a Jew, I am not a Palestinian, but I know my history.
The State of Israel was created in 1948 [year of my birth] from lands where Palestinians lived, and they were chased out of their land. That was the original sin, committed by England, France and other European countries that went along with this inequity. But don't go believing that those countries loved Jews: Antisemitism runs rampant in Europe, and the creation of the State of Israel actually meant that Europeans could now say: leave Europe! go to Israel.![Another country that was created that way and for the same racist reason and by the same people. is the state of Liberia in Africa: so that Freed Slaves would have a place to go]
In 75 years, there have been constant or near constant conflicts over that question. A two State solution sounds nice and logical, but Jews and Palestinians are occupying the same area, by and large, so it is hard to start making a border that both could respect. And yet, that's what need to happen.
Netanyahu has constantly favored encouraging settlements outside of the recognized state of Israel, and that is against the treaties. If at least the Laws were the same for both Palestinians and Jews, but no. The government of Netanyahu has been horrible toward Palestinians. Hamas is a terrorist organization that has been terrible toward Jews.
Right now, Mr. Netanyahu is clearly wrong, just like Hamas was clearly wrong on October 7th.
As Americans, we should remove ourselves from that conflict and stop any and all weapons shipments to Israel or Hamas until Netanyahu is defeated.
The only help that should flow to that region is to protect Gazan lives and Israeli lives.
I have no hatred for either side and wish they could live in Peace.
Good Luck to you, Alan. May you give to Palestinians the same protections they give you. That is actually a worthwhile cause.
You are treating Israel, a legitimate country created where Jews had lived continuously since Biblical times, as an equal with Hamas, a terrorist organization funded by Iran. You might claim to know history, but I encourage you to do more research. Why are people demanding that Israel comply with Hamas's demands? It was Hamas that broke the ceasefire on October 7. It's absurd to believe any country negotiate with Hamas, which deliberately places Gazans in danger, arrests dissenters, and promises to repeat the actions of October 7 until Israel is eliminated.
" A legitimate country where Jews had lived continuously since Biblical Times". [Well, so have Palestinians for that matter:
The term Palestine first appeared in the 5th century BCE when the ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote of a "district of Syria, called Palaistinê" between Phoenicia and Egypt in The Histories.
So if we are trying to figure out who has a right to living there by longevity in the area, I think both people have a right to,.
Jews have been traveling all over the world and a State was created for them in 1948, as I was saying.
Early humans arrived in the Fertile Crescent and Palestine about 500,000 years ago. Settled life there began between 12,500 and 9,500 BCE, when the semi-sedentary Natufian culture (named after Wadi Natuf, west of Ramallah) developed.
I do imagine that some of those folks eventually became Palestinians while others adopted the Jewish Faith.
Who is asking that Israel comply with Hamas' demands? Not me, if you think that the demands include a "from the river to the Sea" approach. I want Jews and Palestinians to learn to get along, if possible without our dollars.
Similarly, If Netanyahu's policy includes a "from the river to the sea" approach, he is wrong too.
As far as "putting Gazans in danger", it seems to me that demanding that Palestinians abandon their homes and go south into Gaza only to bomb them better, Netanyahu is doing a darn good job of that.
Iran is sheltering and helping these awful terrorists because they feel they can gain power, in a way not too dissimilar to what the US has been doing showering the State of Israel with money and weapons since its inception. Just like Iran is not a fair broker, the US is not a fair broker.
A more even handed approach would be to tell both of these powers to butt out, but neither side wants to do that!
The sad situation is that because the US is a big powerful country, we are constantly asked to intervene and enter conflicts that will not, in the end, benefit the US is any way.
Just like you feel that it is futile for the Jewish State to negotiate with Hamas, Hamas and the Palestinians feel it is futile to negotiate with Netanyahu.
I'm sorry, Laurie. there are only 2 solutions: Negotiations or continued war. You choose. There is nothing outside of that. The best for the US is to refuse to get dragged into WWIII.
Thank you for telling us what these slogans sound like to some Jews. But not all Jews hear them the same way. Jews for Peace and If Not Now... are brave Jewish organized and led groups who oppose the slaughter of Palestinians and demand a permanent ceasefire. That is anything but anti-semitic. Israel has become the Golden Calf that Moses found his people worshipping. Jews and Palestinians lived in peace in Palestine for centuries. In fact Sephardic DNA and Palestinian DNA are indistinguishable. It was with the massive arrival after WW2 of desperate Ashkenazi Jews (who before emigrating to Eastern Europe originated in Central Assia, not the Middle East) that the horrors of Zionism were visited upon the Palestinians. And those horrors never ended. So here we are today with the State of Israel, now a fait accompli, and a population of people who believe that they are God's Chosen People with a God given right to the land and homes of everyone in Israel who is not Jewish, and 2,3 million people whom God ostensibly doesn't give a damn about in the same land. Isn't it obvious what needs to be done and who has caused this problem in the first place?
1. Biden is not king. Money comes from Congress. You assume you know, but in reality, you don't know what you don't know.
2. If you want a cease fire, protest Qatar, which gives asylum to murderers and acts as if it is an honest broker. Protest the Arab countries that murder other Arabs. Protest nearby Arab countries that refuse to help innocent Gazans escape.
Nonsense! If Israel wanted genocide in Gaza, it would have happened months or years ago. What Israel wants is to defeat Hamas, whose charter calls for the murder of Jews everywhere and the elimination of the country of Israel.
Well - it’s a little more complicated than that. Israel has for decades pushed Palestinians out of their homes and taken land from them. If your neighbor had continually annexed your land - and half your house - what would you do? It’s much more complex than what you lead on.
It is more complicated as you say but you need to consider Netanyahu encouraging the settlers to take Palestinian land and not the entire country of Israel.
Netanyahu won’t stop the settlers from attacking Palestinians because it serves his larger purpose of expanding into land that Israel want to incorporate, aka annex, into its claimed territory.
Guerrellas by definition don’t fight fair, but its practitioners are forced to fight unfairly in order to even up the odds of success against a better organized and supplied enemy. See Viet Cong guerrilla warfare tactics in the Vietnam war for details.
Hmmm, while that is certainly true that the Viet Cong Guerillas were a formidable enemy that didn't "fight fair", it is not just guerillas that don't fight fair:
Our use of defoliants during that conflict was chemical warfare, and many young Vietnamese born to mothers who were sprayed were born with horrible deformities and are suffering to this day... so there is that...
HAMAS put the gun in Netanyahu’s hand to accomplish what he’s wanted to accomplish all along but didn’t have the excuse provided him by HAMAS to do so.
He announced tonight that no military aid would be sent to Israel. There was proposed cease fire agreement drafted to free the hostages and have a cease fire. Neither Hamas nor Netanyahu showed up. This is war between two leaders with the use of civilians in the middle.
Well said and I might ask did the students in 1968 know anymore about the political climate of Vietnam than the students of today supporting terrorists who basically know little about the history of the middle east?!
"They tell me they don’t want to have children and bring them into a world imperiled by conflict and climate change and authoritarianism."
My Mom & I had similar discussions re the wisdom of having children. Back in the 70's. I asked why would I want to bring kids into this broken world? She responded, If you don't raise caring children, then who will fix what is wrong
There's a song that contains the lyrics "only stupid people are breeding", which is the premise of the movie Ideocracy. Have we already arrived at that point?
Our brilliant granddaughter has just been accepted to a prestigious small university on a very safe campus. We are relieved she chose that school and not the larger state universities she was also accepted at after watching the last few weeks of turmoil on those campuses. That did not affect her choice however. She is very motivated and optimistic about the future and her part in making this a better world and she certainly has the ability to contribute to that. I fear for her and our future if Trump gets elected. I feel the cynicism of our youth and his oppressive policies will cause this beautiful next generation to lose hope and give up. They are our best hope for solving so many of the problems facing our world - climate, wars, disease, political, etc. We must do everything in our power to re- elect President Biden and give him a Democratic Congress in order to save our country and give the youth their chance. Robert, I too was in college and came of age at the same time as you. I think the difference now is that we are facing more existential problems and a madman who shouldn’t even be allowed to run threatening to turn around progress we’ve made on these issues and take us back to a place where our future cannot survive and give the next generation a chance.
Karen I will not be voting for Trump but I am not quite as worried about our Democracy as everyone on this feed is if he gets elected. He will be a lame duck president and he might even control the border. The president of this country doesn’t really have the power to make this country a dictatorship and the talk of it is total propaganda! Don’t forget the progressive left has control of the media and the universities and has weaponized the DOJ to go after any and all conservatives they can. This administration also silenced many brilliant thought leaders during Covid so they could push the vaccine and continue lockdowns and school closures. I call that a big threat to Democracy! I feel like these comments are those of silly children that watch cable news networks. Godspeed to Israel to put down Hamas terrorists as they have as much right to have a country as any Muslim in the middle east.
Control of the media is shared between the fascist right & the corporate mainstream the media. The progressive left has precious little presence on the media these days, which explains how fascism has become the threat it is today, when it would hardly have been conceived 30 years ago (before Murdoch & Fox).
Msm is very pro left. I consider cable television news to be in a category all by itself so if watching those channels you are usually right to far right if watching Fox and if watching MSMbc or CNN you are more progressive left! Not sure what news you are watching? People that are center left or center right seem to be letting the far fringes of society rule the news waves! Like why transgender ideology is constantly shoved in our faces when historically only .01% of the population are actually transgender! I personally feel there are far more important things for our news media and government to be focused on!
That has been the right-wing narrative for 60 years or so, & it may have been true at 1 time. After all, journalists have normally taken up this career because they have a drive to discover & reveal the truth, & truth famously has a liberal bias. But eventually these complaints about a liberal bias in the media had their intended effect of pushing the media to the right. It was important for thir reputation, at least back then, for news organizations to be, or at least appear to be, politically neutral. So they hired more conservative pundits, & made sure that conservative views got out there. That still didn't quiet the complaints. Then corporations took over mainstream news broadcasts & the owners themselves wanted a more conservative, corporatist bent. The Fairness Doctrine & Truth in Advertising (which applied to political ads, too) were no longer enforced, & conservative outlets proliferated, especially on radio, but also on TV. In this century, Russia has infiltrated & permeated social media, the Republican Party & various other US institutions with russofascist propaganda,
which is how globalism, Soros & other Russian bogeymen became part of Republican disinformational propaganda.
There is a small but vocal part of the left that has been consumed with political correctness: making sure that the "proper terms are used to describe people or things, & are overly concerned with personal pronouns, sexual identity, intersectionality, white male privilege, which has aggravated many people in the center & on the right, & even a few on the left. It's 1 thing to inform people about these other ways of looking at things, but pushing them on people naturally provokes resistance & backlash, which has turned out to be disproportionate in the harm caused.
I certainly agree with you that there are many far more important issues to focus on than what most of the media & most politicians spend most of their time talking about.
Also my comments as I'm writing them become confined to a box, & I'm unable to move (scroll) them so I can either proofread or edit words in the post that aren't shown in the box.
It sounds to me as if you watch FOX! Excuse me - it was the Trump administration that silenced brilliant scientists during Covid and supported Trump’s crazy rantings about it that helped contribute to over a million deaths before we had the vaccine that got us back to normal. Where have you been since 2020 - in a cave. Trump is the one who will politicize the DOJ to persecute his enemies - he has told us so. And just because he’s a demented raving fool doesn’t mean he can’t destroy our democracy - he’s vowed to put into power people like Bannon, Miller and Stone who have outright said that’s their goal. I think you need to pay better attention Andrea dear.
Actually never watch Fox MSNBC or for many years now CNN. I read independent media since 2020. I’m a disenchanted Democrat who feels like government in general is failing the American people. I would say the brilliant Doctors are the ones who did the Great Barrington study! The fact that our social media outlets censored speech during the pandemic is absolutely criminal and against the first amendment we have in this country!!! I am totally sick of ESG and DEI and all the now racist BS that is making this country even more divided. Joe Biden promised to heal this country and bring everyone together ( yeah right) Just keep letting people cross the border without even vetting them😩Trump is not a choice for so many reasons I would end up writing a book here! I will skip the 2024 voting this year unless Biden is out and a new vibrant young candidate comes on the scene. Joe Biden should go retire and enjoy the rest of his life. Its elder abuse at this point
Glad I chose not to produce any kinder back at the time in life Dr Reich is saying his students are vowing the same - and I'm in my '70s, too! I still feel I did right by the kids I never had.
My memories as well. My husband fought in Vietnam and flew as a helicopter over the DMZ. Today seems much worse w Trump encouraging hate and fighting amongst ourselves. I think of the Civil War when Americans fought against themselves and now we have an unSupreme Court most of whom support Trump who is trying to destroy our Democracy.
Exactly, we managed to survive Nixon, but Trump is so much worse and is holding hands with Putin. Republicans have been manipulating the narrative since Nixon had to resign.
Atty. Barr will vote for Trump, even though he testified that he is guilty of promoting the coup of January 6th, because he thinks the democrats are worse.
The problem is the “ LYING “ by Trump on every subject - from world domination to his wives - LIE LIE LIE …why do you think lying was put in the 10 commandments? It hurts everyone black white brown yellow orange purple red blue
Thanks for this one. It’s hard to find words at the moment. I will be 40 this year. I can honestly say that I’ve unironically used a rotary phone, and also had the internet thing well in hand by age 10.
I feel for those younger than me. They never had a chance to glimpse the world when the future was still a guarantee. Stability was arguably a thing. Our rights as Americans were protected by precedent and a non partisan court. At least I have an idea of what it looks like. It’s basically been Idiocracy for their entire political lives.
I will keep your words in mind when I’m having a hard time giving younger people a reason to keep fighting. 💛
Do not get complacent when things improve. My generation did.
Do not get complacent about political groups and PACs like “citizens united” or the “federalists society.” BE Skeptical about groups that appear/seem to be benign- but in reality seek power to keep Power and Freedom from You.
Be Vigilant With ALL Rights; right for you and people Not You but Americans as well
The right to read, vote, choose a religion or choose none, have a family OR not, the right to clean air & water (essential to life itself), right to eat health clean food as it was meant to be, your rights AND the future of generations yet to come.
Don’t Get Complacent.
Read or watch 2 different news sources- local & national. Pay Attention, no matter how tired you may be. I was a single mom- I get tired & working hard, trying to have a life. Just pay attention
Money isn’t everything; it’s only a means. The things that matter are your Relationships; not your bank account or golden toilets.
Be Vigilant, Stay Vigilant, Vote FOR those who Respect you, your life, and Your Collective RIGHTS.
"They are repulsed by the slaughter in Gaza, and angry by the responses of university administrators around the country to the student protesters." I hope they are still repulsed by the murders, rapes, and kidnapping by Hamas terrorists from Gaza in Israel on October 7. Perhaps it's easier to just be part of a screaming mob so they don't have to remember why Israel is fighting in Gaza.
Please don’t forget the AIDS pandemic that claimed the lives of more than 25 million over the past 40 years. I get your point, but for those of us who were college students in the late 1980s, COVID is not the only pandemic in living memory and for many of us, it was equally devastating, if not more so.
Antisemitism and racism are two-of-a-kind epithets used to silence the opposition. BTW, it’s not antisemitism on campuses. It’s pro-Palestinianism. Big difference.
Thank you. I'm sick of hearing that we hate jews. It is such a lie.
Not really Margaret, there is an underlying disdain and hatred for Jews, those that hold that disdain and hatred, have found that they can now come out and camouflage it as pro Palestinian.
No different than the racist, misogynists and theocrats hiding behind Trump, whom they use as their avatar.
A dislike for Israel (an oppressive regime if you happen to be indigenous) and their vociferous supporters is not antisemitism.
Disapproving of Netanyahu's Final Solution to the Palestinian Question is not antisemitism.
News flash: Palestinians are Semites.
You can disagree with an administration without believing that the country does not have a right to exist. Israel was created at a time when many countries were being carved out of the Ottoman Empire. It's the only one that has to defend its existence. Not to mention that the Palestinians were offered a state and declined (for bizarre radical Islamist reasons); AND, let's not forget that the Jews ARE the indigenous people of that particular strip of land. Where was Jesus crucified exactly?
Why do you assume that disagreeing with Netanyahu's policies is synonymous with believing that Israel should not exist? That's a straw-man argument. The majority of those who oppose Israel's current policies want a TWO-state solution--you can't have a two-state solution without Israel.
About 2,000 years ago, the Romans broke up some protests and drove the protesters off to Other Lands; during the intervening years, most o' those who were reasonably well behaved and thus were not exiled found a new religion.
This doesn't negate their property rights.
Israel has a right to exist, but it does not have a right to enact an unholy admixture of South Africa in the '60s and what the US did to the Native Americans.
You should remember that Israel got its start by driving off the British who resettled European Jews to Palestine - where the Palestinians initially welcomed them; they did this through terrorism, derailing troop trains and like behaviour. Then they started saying "Oh, you're not Jewish. Give me your land. No? <BOOM>"
Judaism is a religion, rather than a bloodline. They're matrilineal, though, so there can be some overlap.
The Palestinians share the bloodline of their oppressors, diluted though that of their oppressors might be after 2,000 years of intermariage with gentiles.
The Jews who were kicked out of Palestine were Palestinian, and their descendants are descended from Palestinians.
So are the Palestinians.
That Europe treated Jews like crap doesn't give Israel the right to pull a Heydrich on the Palestinians.
Also, should some Navajo youths start chanting that the US has no right to exist, I'm gonna give 'em a pass.
TRue Russell. no one hates Bibi and the Israeli right wing more than I and I especially despise the orthodox Jewish settlers.
However these demonstrations disguise disdain for the Jews. I deplore the term antisemitic, because it is a lie, based on fiction.
I don't believe in the TeNACh/Old Testament, I donn'tbelieve in Noah or his sons like shem, I don't believe in Abraham and his sons Isaac and Ishamael,but the Ashkenazi Jews, who even by their own lights are not descendants of Shem, but of Japeth, are descendants of Abrahams son Isaac, and the Arabs son of Ishamael, so by their own fiction Arabs and Jews are semites.
Antisemitism has nothing to do with semites. It was a term coined by Wilhelm Marr ,a euphemism for Jew Hatred.
"Flash news." We know this.
Mr. Farrar you are extremely consistent in seeing any issues presented through the prism of the world against you and Israel which move immediately to the forefront the victim role that many in the Jewish community had been exploiting since the 2nd world war. We might be commenting about the situation in Gaza, how we got there and the horrific consequences for Palestinians and for you these are comments against Israel. Blaming the victim, the Palestinians, for someone else actions is not only unfair but it's becoming an explanation that not many people around the world are accepting anymore; it's a hackneyed discourse that offer no solution or even room for discussion. This situation, undoubtedly, will cost Mr. Biden and the Democrats this election; thus, why not seek a middle point that will permit a dialogue and not the deafening silence that we are seeing daily.
To the extent that is true, they are different than the originators of the Columbia U. encampment, which included Jewish students.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jewish-organizing-at-columbias-encampment/id1573983987?i=1000653607655
Yep I have addressed the Jewish students earlier in a response to RR.
Take note that while there are liberal Jews, and pro Muslim Jews, there is no, and never has been any liberal or pro Jew Muslims.
And there is a reason for that. There are atheist Jews, Liberal Jews and orthodox jews, but there is no such thing as an atheist Muslim or a liberal Muslim.
Liberal when it comes to western (democratic) views about tolerance, but not on their home turf.
William, What research data are you using to support your stance? I worked as a nurse at UIHealth and worked together with many Jews and Muslims, My Muslim colleagues were very pro tolerance and that included supporting their Jewish colleagues. I believe if you will do a little research, you will definitely find atheists and liberal Muslims. People are people. They all poop, put their pants on the same way, bleed red, and want to keep families safe and prosperous. Defining any group by its worst members just makes no sense and furthers dividing stereotypes. I know these are scary times, but do you want to contribute to the problem or the solution?
Because there’s been no cultural “Enlightenment” (acknowledging separation of church/state)
You got it right. Well said.
And there's an overlying hatred for Palestinians. Evil Bibi had the nerve to call these HUMAN BEINGS animals and Amalekites that deserve to be destroyed. I don't give a darn what your nationality, ethnicity, race-a stupid made up construct created to subjugate certain humans-, religious beliefs or whatever other qualifier FLAWED HUMANS made up to separate us you are. Whoever you are, you're potentially MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. AND I LOVE YOU NO MATTER. This world and all these countries make up a failed "empire" that will fall just like all the others before it and not a moment to soon. The EXPERIMENT has FAILED.
Terri: I share your disdain for Bibi, and for the settlers that are harassing and killing the people in the West bank.
But in all fairness, Bibi is only echoing HAMAS and the Arabs. I guess you didn't know that their kids are being raised to consider Jews Vampires and vermin, and HAMAS goal, in their covenant, is to commit genocide of the the Jews (in the preamble and article 7 especially)
You see Terri, this is a religious war, but at the moment it is Jew v Muslim, If you read the Quran and hadiths as I have, you know it would be Islam v the world. Islam is triumphalist and in the minds of Muslims, this is only a setback, Inshallah, since it was stopped at Poitiers by Charles the Hammer and at the gates o Vienna, by Polish hussars.
And who gets killed in wars? The innocents, The allied bombs on Germany and Japan didn't just kill NAZI's and Japanese imperialists.
Bibi was in bed with Hamas so there's that... he had ample warning that an attack was imminent and ignored it.
You, personally, may not hate Jews. That doesn't mean everyone doesn't. If you don't hate, why can't you percieve?
I don't associate with anyone who is antisemitic, but I do with those who hate genocide.
Then why do you support Hamas, whose charter calls for Genocide?
❤️ Reich ❤️:"The mistakes made at one point in time have an eerie way of re-emerging two generations later, as memories fade."
Me:"The mistakes made at ALL pointS in time have an eerie way of re-emerging like puddles that mask potholes, NOT BECAUSE memories fade.... OUR EGO BLOCKED US FROM SEEING OUR MISTAKES IN THE FIRST PLACE ...IF ALL WE NEEDED WAS MEMORY AND OR EDUCATION WE WOULDN'T NEED DEPROGRAMMING ( which we are sorely lacking).
Up to 60% of anxious people are cured by placebo but innocuous placebos can mutate into insidious placebos. Deprogramming is required to overcome our intellectual and emotional immaturity in this regard.
First Do No Harm
Stop the Lying 🤥
"Don't Sweat It" is a lie... Exercise and Exposure Therapy are mandatory and both cause sweat ...
Mary Ellen:"why can't you perceive?"
State Dependent Learning... similar to Lakoff's FrameLab?
Moms must hear baby's cry... Moms with accurate Empathy ignored their baby's cry when the baby's emotion was a mismatch... aka ANGRY MOMS CAN ONLY HEAR ANGER .. IGNORING BABY'S FEAR.... FEARFUL MOMS CAN ONLY HEAR FEAR... we evolved to have inaccurate empathy so Moms can hear both
The problem Power, lies with HAMAS, they started it by blood thirsty and up front and personal rape and murder of Jews, then the cowards carried hostages back to use as human shields, that didn't work and they use their own people as human shields.
Yahya Sinwar boasted that they are a nation of martyr's, martyrs in Islam are celebrated not mourned, but Yahya is a coward, he "martyr's" his own people, infants, children, women and hides behind them using so called Journalists with their videos and cell phones to sway the mind of ignorant westereners.
Every person with a cell phone is a journalist, and all they need is a helmet and vest with press. 100 Arab journalists in Gaza with 2 million people is ridiculous.
And the stats farmed out to non thinking westerners and accepted without question by the HAMAs "Ministry of Health" should be caveated as uncomfirmed by they are accepted wholesale by the stupid west, meanwhile even IDF video's are caveated "uncomfirmed"
And half of the so called 35,000 or whatever HAMAS claims are Jihadi's, fighters who were glad to give their lives as warriors for allah.
Scientists found Moms and Shrinks refusing SCIENTIFIC metrics are severely inaccurate though the law requires Shrinks to measure (89% of US psychologists refuse to measure.)
And that is relevant, how?
You've got a case against "shrinks", and I see why, now.
And why do you assume?
But you do. If you cared about ‘innocent’ deaths so much you would be protesting the slaughter of innocent people in China and Sudan. But you don’t. Because there are no Jews there. Also - the government of Gaza started a war and is letting its people die.
Pure rubbish! I do care about people being slaughtered everywhere that I know about. You seem to forget that there are jews protesting the slaughter too and they are hardly antisemitic! I'm sick of the nonsense you MAGAs are spreading.
What about the men and women and children of Sderot?
Is it? Is it really?
75% of the Palestinians in December 2023 poll said the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli citizens was "correct". https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/poll-shows-palestinians-back-oct-7-attack-israel-support-hamas-rises-2023-12-14/
Palestinians elected Hamas into the Palestinian political body.
How different then, is "pro-Palestinian" from "pro-Hamas"? And what does it mean to be pro-Hamas, a group that has promised to eradicate Israel? https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/doctrine-hamas
Yeah, and 99% of the Russian electorate voted for Putin in the last 'democratically held election'. An old saying comes to mind...
"When you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow."
I think the Israeli Ambassador to the UN says it all!
https://youtu.be/mkrXO2Pxk8s?si=_6C_GigZ3d4mBVAL
Quoting the same article, you left out details:
"The PCPSR found that, compared to pre-war polling, support for Hamas had risen in Gaza and more than tripled in the West Bank, which has seen the highest levels in violence in years, with repeated deadly clashes between Israeli troops and settlers and Palestinians.
Fifty-two percent of Gazans and 85% of West Bank respondents - or 72% of Palestinian respondents overall - voiced satisfaction with the role of Hamas in the war. Only 11% of Palestinian voiced satisfaction with PA President Mahmoud Abbas."
So in otherwords, roughly half of Gazans supported Hamas as of December. Majority of Palestinians favoring Hamas aren't under their rule, but under PA.
Take a walk in my shoes, a-hole.
Daniel, I am afraid I don’t know who you are responding to, but I definitely hear your hurt, fear, and anger. I am sorry you have had this experience, We would all benefit from listening, empathizing, and learning what another’s experience has been. It is often the experience of an entire group, short people, fat people, Jewish people, Muslim people, atheists, LGBTQ people, people of color, women, men who like pink, quiche, and being a stay at home Dad, immigrants, low income people, homeless people, and the list goes on. So many “very fine people” are just narcissistic sociopaths that know how to con. We need to call them out for who they are and support those who are working toward a multiracial pluralist. true democracy, there will always be greed, deceit, cruelty, but we can be buoyed by e late great good fight advocate,
John Lewis:
"My dear friends, your vote is precious, almost sacred. It is the most powerful nonviolent tool we have to create a more perfect union." and
"So I say to you: Don’t give up. Don’t give up on the things that have great meaning to you. Don’t get lost in a sea of despair. Stand up for what you believe in. Because…we are one people, one family, the human family. We all live in one house, the American house, the world house. We are Black. We are white. Hispanic, Asian American, Native American. We are one people."
Well said, Linda!!
Linda Querry: Be consistent. If you spell "Black" with a capital "B", then spell "white", "red", and all other races with capitals. Spell "White" with a capital "W". If we are one people, then the spelling of our names should reflect that oneness instead of separation.
Barbara. Sorry for the error in typing it was not intentional or meant to convey any meaning, We are all one people on spaceship Earth. Thank you for pointing out the error.
Fortunately, (or unfortunately) since voting is our most powerful tool in a democracy, I can be both lost in a sea of despair and still drag myself out to the polls to vote. If participation required more than this one minimal, very infrequent act, I would either not be able to muster the effort to manage it/them, or else, conversely, be less despairing.
How dare somebody disagree with you, right Daniel. It is this polarization that Mr Reich is talking about. Instead of name calling, why not describe your experiences and persuade us.
Daniel; you are one of the most combative, angry, offensive commentators on this blog. Anytime I write anything you personally disagree with, you go out of your way to slag me, call me a troll and even attempt to damage my credibility with direct lies about me to other contributors. If people don't like you, here or in real life (assuming you have one), then I can safely assume you have brought it upon yourself. So I certainly have no sympathy for you on the basis of your name and heritage - if this is your general attitude, then you are certainly making lots of enemies wherever you go!
And no, before you try it on again, this is NOT an ethnically driven comment I'm making. Assholes are assholes, wherever they might come from!
That's because you are an interloper who has an anti American agenda.
Presumably by interloper you mean someone with too much sense to live in America in current times?
As for the anti-American, I presume you mean I, and all foreigners, should have uncritical respect for a country that, btw, previously elected Trump and, despite that experience, stands a 50/50 chance of electing Trump again?
America, for good or ill, has importance for everyone in the World, particularly Western Europe and fellow Nato countries. The $ is the Reserve Currency, at least for the next decade. The purchasing power of American consumers is of world importance. Every time America fucks up, everyone in the world suffers.
So I would encourage more 'interlopers' from the rest of the world to contribute to blogs like these, so Americans understand that the rest of the world is concerned, is watching, and trying to understand the crazier decisions that Americans seem to make, time after time. It's a shame that more Americans don't dump their political blinkers, get out more, and see that many of their problems have already been solved in other countries.
And yes, I'd like many more interlopers to comment and criticise when Americans, living in their bubbles of self interest and arrogance, get things wrong. Again.
If that pisses you off, Daniel, I'd consider that a bonus! 😬
Or is it because you can’t make any reasonable argument to refute a point made by someone not necessarily in lockstep with your beliefs. So you simply call them “troll” or interloper” like some sort of child on the playground. It’s not just that you’re wrong a lot. You don’t think or empathize very much either.
Take a walk in a Gazan kid’s shoe “a-hole”
If I were a Gazan I would help the IDF elminate those responsible for the hell rained down on me- HAMAS.
You would help those who have indiscriminately murdered your mother, your father, your sisters, your brothers, your aunts, your uncles, your grandparents, your friends? Really? Thanks for revealing yourself as a coward. Hope your family knows who you truly are.
Many of the arrested protesters (at least at Columbia and NYU are Jews, schmuck.).
Please do not use terms like "a-hole" and "schmuck" on this page.
Thank you
Robert here is one emotionally uninvolved persons view.
First my bonafides. I consider myself a progressive because
I am anti racist, and that means racism in the words, actions, mentality of anyone. Religion is not a race.
I am a propend of DEI and CRT, provided they are factual and not distorted or propaganda
I am for restraint of the power of money, and for economic opportunity, there is no such thing, never has been or will be equality because humans are not equal. That means I am pro labor, and labor rights, but not monopolization of or corruption of labor (i.e. Jimmy Hoffa and the teamsters)
I support the corporate death penalty, and charter laws that did have one.
Having said that. There are atheist Jews, liberal Jews, left wing Jews, right wing Jews and jews that could care less.
There are liberal Christians, left wing Christians, right wing Christians but no atheist Christians.
There are, and can not be, any atheist Muslims, or liberal Muslims, not if they are true Muslim.
There is only the Islam of the Quran, the haddiths and no one can modify them, alter them, or liberalize them without becoming an apostate and leaving Islam, and the penalty for that is death. So sayeth the Quran and hadiths, and Islamic law – Sharia.
Islamic law can be, and is vehemently enforce, hence Wahhabiyyah, Shia, Taliban (word means Student), DAESH (ISIS, ISIL, ISK and other salafist movements.
Salafism is what in America is called originlism, it is the strictly applied laws of Islam. There is a North American counterpart called Dominionism and another called Evangelicalism.
You Robert, I take as a liberal Jew, open minded, open handed, while there are counterparts in Christianity, I can think of none in Islam.
I do know Muslims who live in the west or born of Muslim parent(s), but they are liberal only to the extent of the liberal political environment, afford them, by western culture. And indeed there are some culutal Muslims like Irshad Manji, the atheist lesbian, who declares herself a Muslim, but does so safely in the U.S, She would never speak or act out in an Islamic country, not even Malyaysia, she would wind up 10 years in prison.
There are pro Palestinian Jews, but you will never find a pro Jew Muslim.
There are Muslim hosts on TV, or hosts who have at least one Muslim parent, like Christiane Amanpour, but their partisanship bleeds through to a person they are loyal parts of the ummah. They will mention, in passing, the horrors of HAMAS, as they have to, but they dwell at length on the sins of Israel.
Even prominent Jews, like yourself, will take the side of HAMAS, not directly, but indirectly by washing over the horror of Yahya Sinwar and the HAMAS leadership, who have brought down hell on their people by using them as human shields and Jews as hostages.
I have yet to see a similar counterpart to this equanimity or outrage on the part of the Muslims, be they Arab, Iranian,Malaysian or Caucasian. (Caucasian Muslims are Chechniyans, Circassians, Azerbaijani's, and the like)
Derriere is so much more dignified 😊
In artful admittedly, but sometimes they are the only words that convey a full meaning and properly apply.
Are there synonyms for a hole and schmuck, that pass muster?
A rose by any other name is a rose Robert.
So what? They want the killing in Gaza to stop as much as anyone else. In that regard they only happen to be Jews.
I don’t know whom or what you’re referring to, but name-calling is out.
Daniel I hear you too. Yes it surely IS anti-semitism. How do I know, only from standing beside and with Jewish friends, being the mutual recipient of the foul, nasty slander and hatred because of who “they” assumed we all were, based on what? Guesses, assumptions, appearances, location? The Only Fact to me was it was INEXCUSABLE, DISGUSTING, SICKENING, OUTRAGEOUS, for anyone to receive just for standing and chatting with friends. The feelings of POWERLESSNESS & UNFAIRNESS felt overwhelming to me for both my friends and myself.
I know them well, they’re from my home town. We could be sisters we have so much in common. An attack on them, is an attack on me, is how I felt. As I felt again on October 7, invasion, rampage, violations to awful to repeat…
I’m not able to walk in your shoes, they’re probably too big for me. My own walk has included severe allergic reactions that left me with ugly visible side effects, as a pre-teen, early teen, that drew cruel, taunting, slanderous ridicule meant to humiliate, for looking different, even scary. Hurt and Angry, filled with embarrassment and shame,
I stuffed the pain of rejection and anger. Unable to swear, to vent just wasn’t done by girls back then.
Even now, you’re being reminded expression of anger needs a more private outlet. Though many people empathize with how and why you are, finding a good support system will be a gift you can give yourself. So you’re not having to deal with the anger yourself. That can be really helpful. In person, or even with Zoom. Finding others who’ve walked, are walking similar paths and care.
If your shoes have a hole, get new shoes!
No thanks. Too much anger to think straight.
It would be nice if you lived up to your last name.
Further evidence that Roger Elmore is correct.
The underlying motivation though, friend Roger is disdain and hatred of the Jews.
And the whole thing is led by Arab students and professors who benefit from their largess, gratis our petrodollars.
Excuse me but sometimes I just have to say it. Bullshit! FYI, in the US anti-semitism has existed on our campuses all my 63 years, and as a college professors, we had a difficult time getting administrators to take it seriously. They don’t want to hear about it anymore than they wanted to hear about the racism against Black and other people of color - it disrupted the image they wanted to project to parents and donors.
And while there is agreement that some students have spewed ugly anti-Semitic rhetoric - but I don’t include in that category students criticizing the Israel government. In fact, rather than “Arabs” organizing on campuses, I’ve seen more references to Jewish student groups organizing or co-organizing these demonstrations.
And we do know who instigated the bulk of violence that took place on these campuses in response to the Demonstrations - counter protesters and militarized police in riot gear.
2- too continue.
Let me also point out that these demonstrations are taking place on college campuses, where teaching & learning takes place. I’ve read accounts of faculty who have engaged the student demonstrators in discussions, challenging them to expand their understanding of the relevant issues.
As a college professor, I would encourage these demonstrators to consider the various perspectives of Jewish peers, faculty, staff and others; to reflect on how what is called the “inherited trauma” of Jewish people, that came out of a history of pogroms & the Holocaust shape how they perceive the campus demonstrators, & their support of Palestinians in Gaza. Maybe they can learn more about Zionism, and the different meanings it has for Jewish people in the US, in Israel and around the world. The more these students learn about the social-Historical context of Israel’s war in Gaza, including the very brutal & deadly October attack on Israeli military installations and civilian communities by armed members of Hamas, the more informed their proposed demands will be.
And undoubtedly, if for no other reason than the very strong reactions of politicians to the Student Demonstrations, these young people are learning that there are a number of different, maybe competing, agendas and interests involved in the relationship between Israel and Palestinians.
I know some of these topics are being discussed amongst demonstrators, and I know that many faculty are encouraging this process: this is exactly the kind of learning that one would expect to take place on college campuses, especially when students feel so strongly about an issue that they willing to take a very public stand. It’s not about trying to convince students how right or wrong they are; it’s about the value of greater understanding, of knowledge, and its vital role in creating viable ways to end the suffering of Palestinians while respecting & perhaps, attending to, the concerns of all those involved.
I want to support these students for taking a stand against the killing of civilians in Gaza and questioning Americas role in the war. They are engaged, & motivated by compassion, an interest in justice and a desire to be active citizens who have a right to demonstrate and speak their minds. But I also want them to listen as well as speak, to learn as well as teach, and to hold to their principles and convictions, but to remain open to the possibility that they don’t necessarily know everything there is to know on the subject. And I hope they remember that injustice cannot be fought with the weapon of hate; give the same respect to others that they ask for themselves
I’m thrilled to see students being aware of the suffering & killing of Palestinian civilians - as parents, shouldn’t we be proud our children for seeing the contradiction between the values and principles of our country and the killing of so many civilian women and children in Gaza? I’m proud of the large majority of these students, who have remained peaceful and nonviolent, even when violently attacked by others. I’m relieved that this generation of students refuse to just avert their eyes, to ignore the injustice of what is happening to Palestinians. And I’m glad that the student demonstrators have professors willjng to intellectually challenge them, then stand arm in arm to protect them from the violence of police
I hope people can remember that a majority of demonstrators are not attacking Jewish students (per actual Jewish students on these campuses). Most of the demonstrators are taking a position of peace, many along side of their Jewish peers. And, in many cases, these students are learning even as they protest. And if, or when, some amongst them foolishly use hateful language of anti-semitism that threatens harm to their Jewish peers, demonstrators have called them out, and attempted to distance themselves for such nonsense. It seems that the majority of demonstrators understand that peace and justice will not arise out of hate.
A final thought - I just hope the most powerful lesson learned by these young people is NOT that those in leadership positions should be allowed to arbitrarily abuse their power against student demonstrators who support Palestinians, while ignoring the violence of counter protestors (many of whom are probably not Jewish). The arbitrary abuse of power is the foundation of tyranny, not freedom
Believe what you want to believe, but these protestors are playing into Trump's and the fascist rights hands.
They and the hundreds of thousands of Muslims, and blacks, that said that they won't vote for Biden.
That means Trump will be #46, and Project 2025 will be the guidebook, and that means that your beloved Muslims will be deported, and blacks will find all of their civil rights gains eroded.
Are you familiar with the horseshoe effect? It is when the left and right meet in a common cause, and the common cause is to teach Biden and the Democrats a lesson, and guess who will pay the price if their bullshit causes Trump to win? They will.
You might appreciate this article from the Forward Why campus protests aren't helping anyone.
https://mailchi.mp/forward/two-weeks-until-our-virtual-fundraiser-with-pulitzer-prize-winning-journalist-maggie-haberman-12693789?e=bb23076869
I will add this, they are helping Trump and the fascist right.
Check this out, Gaza protests are Mirror image of MAGA
https://www.thebulwark.com/p/gaza-protests-columbia-university?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
That is NOT AT ALL the underlying motivation. I get so sick and tired of the distortions. Many thousands of men, women and children are being killed in Gaza, and they have done no wrong! That’s what the protests are all about.
Exactly. One can be critical of the Israeli government and not be anti-semitic.
How naive. Of course it's anti-semitism. The oldest hatred that lives like a bacteria just below the surface, ready to emerge whenever there is blame to cast. Many of us are finally waking up and saying -- who cares? Dislike me; hate me -- I don't need your approval. We don't need your approval. We will continue to be the highly moral, highly productive people we've always been (not that we're perfect; who is?). Maybe that's what drives everyone crazy.
Antisemites are using the genuine concerns of pro-Palestinians to promote their policies of hatred. They like it when people get confused and call pro-Palestinians Antisemites.
depends on definition of "pro-Palestinian"
Some of it is pro-Hamasism. Hamas started this war by acting worse than beasts. Anyone who is pro-Hamas after October 7th is also anti-Semitic.
..and it's anti-genocide-ism
I will never forget the AIDS pandemic. Never. I was a med student and house officer during the first years. We had nothing to offer except compassion and a promise that we would be there till the bitter end. It was a death sentence.
I will never forgive Reagan for his failure to act. He fiddled while Rome burned. Just like trump did with Covid.
Reagan was a disaster. In addition to botching the response to HIV, he gave us trickle down economics. During the last 40 years, that policy has made the already wealthy morbidly rich, the poor really poor, and hollowed out the middle class. And oh by the way, Reagan had clinical signs of dementia during the last 6 years of his presidency.
OMG, yes. What a terrifying time! The boy who took me to my prom was a victim, and so many others I knew and loved! Until "Magic" Johnson, I knew of no one who survived it. And didn't even know about Drs Fauci and Bryx until they became foils for the idiot trump!
Thank you Russ.
I was just about to make that point when I read it. THIS IS OUR SECOND PANDEMIC. So far I have survived both, but lost many friends to AIDS, & 1 to COVID (a young doctor who died on duty).
Please don't forget that AIDS has claimed the lives of just over 700,000 Americans over the past 40 years. By comparison, Covid-19 has claimed 1.2 million American lives in 4 years.
Many dying of Covid had to die alone -- to prevent the risk of infecting others. That's pretty devastating.
No question. My comment was in reference to Reich stating Covid is the only pandemic in our lifetime. He edited the piece to remove that after I made this comment.
I’ve been thinking about your comparison of AIDS vs. Covid, and while Covid has resulted in more deaths in the first four years, we need to remember how deadly AIDS was before effective treatments were developed in the early 2000s. In the first 15 years of AIDS, more than 60% of those with HIV died. That number is staggering compared to Covid, which I’ve contracted 3 times over the last 3 years. If I’d contracted HIV in the mid-1980s, it is highly unlikely I would have died. We are very lucky HIV was not airborne, as it was quite devastating.
I assumed that AIDS was not a pandemic that the vast majority of Reich's students experienced personally -- thinking that they're in their early 20s. Relatively speaking, AIDS is not very transmissible, and much more easily preventable.
The west was not hit with another variant of CoV -- MERS -- fortunately. MERS has a fatality rate of close to 40% with no vaccine available yet.
I should add that, for people with co-morbidities and the elderly, Covid-19 fatalities reach the level of AIDS or MERS.
And to vote democratic if they are afraid of another trump presidency. But vote as a non vote is a vote for Trump.
Exactly right! A non-vote is EQUAL TO a vote for INSURRECTION and THE DEATH OF DEMOCRACY. He has ALREADY TOLD US VERBATIM that he WILL become a dictator.
Then our job is to vote to make sure former President Trump continues to hold the title of a former President.
Keep in mind that another reason people might not be inclined to vote at all is because no sane, stable society should ever get to the point that not voting is a vote for fascism and theocracy. That fact that the U.S. is even in this position - *for the second fucking time in a decade*- may validly lead them to just say fuck it all. Because even if Trump loses, the bloodlust for fascism and xtian white male supremacy is not going to evaporate. It will very likely only be greatly heightened. At least 30% of this country *wants* to turn the U.S. into a third world country, *wants* to turn the U.S. into Franco's Spain or Mussolini's Italy or Putin's Russia. Who wouldn't throw their hands up in despair at this point?
First, Constance, 30% of this country is not a majority, so there's that.
Second, if a non-vote is a vote for fascism and theocracy, why not vote for the inverse? Is Biden a fascist or a theocrat? No. And in spite of it all, he has achieved remarkable success in stemming the flow of fascism and theocracy.
So you have a point that it is easy to get dispirited and feel a deep despair when the meek side appears to be ineffective against loud braggards who can only run one thing: Their mouth. but that is a point that has to be made, over an over until Nov.2024.
Trump didn't get the popular vote in 2016 or in 2020, and as his real persona is coming into relief, it is very doubtful that he will win the popular vote in 2024. The non-presidential elections in between have not been kind to MAGA extremists over all.
You are fearful that the bloodlust for fascism and Xtian white male supremacy will not extinguish just because Trump and the MAGA wing will lose again.
It is OK to be fearful, because indeed, we are going through a crisis like we've never seen.
The antidote is to use your natural fear to strengthen your resolve to communicate every chance you get.
Speak you your MoCs, especially if they are Republicans. And I mean SPEAK. Don't bother to yell or you will get nowhere. At the local level, these Republicans, who may not all embrace MAGA madness won't be so sure of themselves and if you prepare well, you will score points. Go back for every issue where you disagree. Encourage them to leave their Party, even if you think it is futile. Have their histrionics swayed you? No, because histrionics do not work well. It is up to us to convince them. That is an important skill in itself. Hone that skill. You do not need to be confrontational As a matter of fact, you win the argument when THEY start yelling. Speak softly, and you do not even need to carry a big stick: It is the relentlessness that gets them. You may be tired, but I guarantee they are too.
First, Cecile, Trump won the 2016 election so 30% is damn well functioning as a majority. In case you haven't noticed, the popular vote is meaningless. I am not fearful, I know for a fact based on all evidence. Did the virulent racism in society disappear after Obama left the White House? No - it became exponentially more open, more violent, and more acceptable in the open. This was not a fad, it will not fade away, this was not a one-off, this is the American populace now. And one of the reasons the fate of democracy is imperiled is the complacency of people swearing that if we just vote it will all turn around and go away.
He had 45.9%, in 2016, so 30% represents a decline. The popular vote is meaningless because of the Electoral College and because of Russian interference through Manafort, who was and still is a agent of Putin, if Trump puts him back in play. I do stand for the elimination of the Electoral College, as I imagine you do too.
Indeed, this racism is not a fad. It wasn't during WWII either. Racism has always ebbed and flowed here. My State of Wisconsin, with a fairly important German population almost became a German speaking State [They missed by one vote only!] Charles Lindberg was a famous pro-Nazi aviator. Here is a link for more on the topic.:
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/american-nazism-and-madison-square-garden
As far as "the complacency of people swearing that if we just vote it will all turn around and go away", I wonder what you are advocating? Violence?
On the extreme right, there are folks who want a new Civil War [which they evoke romantically as " The Lost Cause"] "and a strong authoritarian figure like Trump as a means of avenging perceived wrongs, but I suspect they are few and far between. If they are not, and we do get into a Civil War, [as it is hard to stop folks who want to fight with you], remember that they are only 30%. That makes the rest of us close to 70%. Personally, if it comes to that, political figures who brought us there are the first on my list [and I have one].
I won't *choose* war, but I'll be ready. If that is being complacent, then I am.
Also, it is easy to be for a war when bullets are not flying and your folks are relatively safe. It is quite another when the war comes to your village. All the Steve Bannons, Manaforts, Trumps, Boeberts, Gozars, Kristi Noems etc. have a habit of fading in the woodwork when things "get serious". It is easy to be tough with a puppy to prove your 2nd amendment creds. It is harder when the puppy shoots back... Just saying.
Yo will be ready for war with what Cecile, your weapons, your combat training, your following? Oh, you mean your keyboard, well your keyboard will be used to ferret out leftists and liberals
I add to constancereaders reply, the following.
This election will be won or lost in the swing states. there were eight in 2020, there are only five now, AZ, NV, MI, PA, WI. Arizona and Nevada are not as important as the other three.
There are 226 electoral votes in Democrat and Democrat leaning states, 235 in Republican and Republican leaning state. It takes 270 electoral votes to win.
Michigan and PA have 34, 15 for MI, 19 for PA. WI has 11.
Since the 2020 election Republican legislatures have passed over 100 voter suppression laws, and those that have been Vetoed by Democratic governors, like NC have been overriden by Republican legislatures.
The RNC is recruiting one hundred thousand armed poll watchers to intimidate people of color.
Threats of violence have driven honest election officials out of office, and the vacancies have been filled with MAGAts.
We are at war already.
Muslims and young black males have threatened to sit out the election or as the blacks threaten to vote for Cornell West. They are, in fact, voting for Trump.
There are hundreds of thousands of Muslims in WI, MI, PA, and Biden won those states in 2020 by tens of thousands.
I am sure that you can do basic arithmetic.
Guess who wins the election? Trump. Guess who is responsible Muslims and young black males. By giving Biden the finger and saying Fuck Biden, they have just taken a healthy dump in their own mess kit, because Trump hates Muslims and blacks as much as he hates dogs,
It doesn't matter then, who is to blame, because he and the Heritage Foundation have put together a plan to nullify the Constitution and American jurisprudence.
Those petulant Muslims and Blacks will find that they have drawn the short straw and the hammer comes down on their heads (mine too damn it, as I am an enemy of fascists)
So I am pissed at these petulant, ignorant reactionaries.
William, I agree with most of everything you say. However, Since I live in Wisconsin, I'd be remiss if I didn't correct the record: We have 10 electoral votes, not 11.
https://www.archives.gov/electoral-college/allocation
Since the last Presidential, we have turned our Supreme Court a tad more liberal and new maps have resulted that will be just a bit more favorable to Democrats than they were.
Only 1% of Wisconsinites were Muslims in 2014:
https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/database/religious-tradition/muslim/
I don't feel that much has changed since then regarding this metric.
I'm sure you are aware of the dangers of making generalizations.
As of 2022, there are 180,161 black males in our State, and you can surmise about that many black females, who by and large are definitely leaning Democratic. Our total population is 5.9 Million in 2024. We are well aware of the shenanigans of the RNC regarding intimidation at the polls. That intimidation is illegal & will be recorded, and hopefully prosecuted if it happens.
Biden won my State by just over 21,000 votes, so it wasn't particularly close. Nevertheless, MAGATS demanded recounts and audits and lost all of them. One recount was even ordered by Trump and his own people didn't find anything fishy.
Kenneth Chesebro who is from Wisconsin worked very hard on the Fake Electors scheme but he confessed in Georgia, I believe that he was involved and his accomplices had to admit as well that they participated in the scheme in exchange for dropping the millions of dollars in penalty and the possible jailtime, and they will no longer serve as electors in Wisconsin. We do still have one, Mr. Spindell, to boot from the Election Commission. I'm waiting for the Attorney General, Josh Kaul, technically a Democrat to get off his you know what.
This said, my feeling is that Biden will win the popular vote again. He really impressed a lot of workers by walking the picket line, so there is progress on this front too.
I do agree with you also on Trump's feelings towards blacks and Muslims, and with the abortion question which impacts especially those who have a tough time getting reproductive care, I'd be extremely surprised if Trump won them over.
Much more problematic is indeed the Heritage Foundation problem. We are doing our best to publicize what Project 2025 is all about, and as the election approaches, many are getting horrified by this current of fascism sweeping the Nation.
I too am supremely pissed at petulant and ignorant reactionaries, be they white, black, Latinos, male or females, young or old, rich or poor. I'm with you!
what does an armed poll watcher do?
shoot people at the polls?
Armed poll watchers intimidate people, especially POC,
Check into the nearest asylum, please.
Oh, how novel: an attempt at insulting! And so witty, too. Not a simple fact or a countering argument, no. Not a scintilla of evidence based diatribe? And with a fake name like crazyjoecus, you are asking me to check into an asylum. You don't have much self awareness, do you? Don't start a battle of wits when you are so obviously unarmed.
All I can say is :"you first, crazyjoecus"
Cecile, I do think that Biden is a fascist. The leaders of the Democratic party all support the fascist ideology. I have to vote for Democratic fascism because Donald represents dictatorship fascism! Not voting or voting for anyone else is a vote for Donald and a dystopian future.
Are we talking about the correct definition of fascism?
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fascism
If you read this definition, you can see that the word fascist does not apply to Democrats or to Democracy.
On the other hand, there is a lot of overlap between autocracy and fascism.
If you mean "believers in a more centralized Government", that I can go with:
It makes sense: Certain things are done better with a centralized government, like National Defense, or road construction or human rights, especially when it comes to equitable Laws among the People. We have faltered many times as a Democracy and we must keep trying to "form a more perfect Union".
But Democratic Fascism is an oxymoron, Bob. I'm not sure where you get the idea that leaders of the Democratic Party all support fascism as an ideology. They don't, I don't.
A Dictatorship is a form of fascism, and in a way, is even more centralized than what Republicans deplore as our Federal "Centralized Government". In a Dictatorship, there is only one man who has all authority and controls everything at his pleasure. It is darn close to a Monarchy, minus the "De Deo Gratia" (By the Grace of God) I'm happy to see that you would not go for that.
I totally agree with your last sentence!
Trite but true. All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.
I understand why millions feel left behind due to trickle down economics that only flooded that top 5%. I'm barely scraping by on 2pensions BUT I'm not spending my last decade on earth in Trump run chaos that resembles Hungary👎 I'm voting straight Dem. Most Repubs are traitors led by narcissist DJShitzpants
Joe Biden Has Finished Talking to Netanyahu Now Joe Biden Will Slow Walk The War Supplies Until More Progress Toward Ending the War originallyTakes Place. Actions Or The Deliberate Lack of Action Speaks Louder Than Words… Netanyahu Loses…
I hope you are correct, Citizen J. But more weapons to Netanyahu should never have been approved.. Helping folks through the rigors of War is noble.
Giving them aid and comfort in contravention of the Leahy Law is illegal and unacceptable, IMHO.
The “Leahy Laws” prohibit U.S. assistance to foreign security force units when there is credible information that the unit has committed a “gross violation of human rights” (GVHR). Pursuant to the laws, before providing assistance, the U.S. government vets potential recipients for information about GVHR involvement.
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF10575#:~:text=The%20%E2%80%9CLeahy%20Laws%E2%80%9D%20prohibit%20U.S.,for%20information%20about%20GVHR%20involvement.
Difficult to make a call from afar about giving IDF weapons but Promising the Weapons and only giving some weapons and slowing down the delivery of more weapons will have a chilling influence on the Government. Biden is finished talking he is asserting control the beginning of the end for Netanyahu…
it all comes down to one question: how do we contain a mass death wish? For that is what non-voters and Trump's armies are manifesting.
The non voters are stupid, they live in an alternate reality, they think that they can flip Biden the finger, and that four years later after the Democrats have learned their lesson, the Dems will come crawling back to them begging for votes.;
They chose to not believe or be unaware that 2024, if Trump wins, will be the last somewhat free election,. If Trump wins he and Project 2026 will model this country after Hungary and Russia, and it will be the beginning of a Trump family dynasty, unless there is an in house coup, because Trump has served his purpose.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
They should another re-do of that movie!
eros vs thanatos
Where did this come from ? Fox News and BreitFart?
That’s the sorriest excuse I’ve ever heard. You want to let a minority of the country take us into fascism? Good Lord! Why do you even get up in the morning? Stay in bed, wimp.
And WTF are you going to do, braveheart?
Are you prepared? Know hand-to-hand combat? Have guns and bombs? Have a stash of food, gold bullion, clothes, generators, gasoline? What?
By the way, what "side" are you on?
I see no trend toward white supremacy this administration is bending over backwards to be inclusive to people of color. The so called universities that are protesting admit very few white males🧐
Just because people are in despair and feel like they'd like to chuck it all doesn't mean they should or will. Jeezus....have you no sense of the history of this country? Washington is probably turning over in his grave. What a lightweight you appear to be.
Terry, I suggest you run some numbers as I did above.
Yes. The student rampages and even Mr. Trump's trial are a distraction from what Republicans hope to achieve: a neofascist state. Sounds extreme? You'd think so, wouldn't you?
How many voters know what the Republican roadmap is? Time Magazine rolled out most of it last week, with interviews of Mr. Trump and some of his colleagues/staff/advisors:
https://time.com/6972021/donald-trump-2024-election-interview/
Another summary of Republican roadmap to power, Project 2025:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_2025#Expansion_of_presidential_powers
Lately, Repubicans are also talking about giving a president ability to override the independence of the Federal Reserve Bank. What do you think this would do to the US economy? To the Dow Jones? to your savings?
WAMC Roundtable has a discussion that addresses what will happen if Mr. Trump becomes president and is permitted to hink around with the independence of the Federal Reserve Bank, as Republican proposals have been reported on by the Wall Street Journal this week:
[start at @ 43:00 on the audio for discussion on inflation]
https://www.wamc.org/podcast/the-roundtable/2024-05-03/5-3-24-rt-panel
Wanna make sure this doesn't happen?
Get out the vote today. REGISTER DEMOCRATS!
https://www.fieldteam6.org/volunteer-ops
America will default in no time and China will become the world reserve currency is my best guess? Then the magas can fight hand-to-hand combat with the Chinese, if the chinese think there's anything worth taking? It would be like conquering a mental institution.
I don't think China will be able to achieve much more than it already has. It too has an ageing population, very high debt levels, produces a small proportion of its own energy, and has been totally dependent on Western inward investment and Western markets buying goods.
I suspect an American/Western recession or collapse will also drive a Chinese recession or collapse, and probably internal political problems that are already barely kept under control. In short, China's route to world domination is by no means set in stone.
no question China has some really big challenges. Never thought Chinese #1 was a slam dunk. Watching to see how Xi's desire for control will hold China back. Does accelerating technology mean authoritarian states simply can't compete? (they have to steal).
"The Federal Reserve System is not ‘owned’ by anyone and is not a private, profit-making institution. Instead, it is an independent entity within the government, having both public purposes and private aspects.”
It continues:
https://www.factcheck.org/2008/03/federal-reserve-bank-ownership/
More.....
https://youtu.be/-Y0I-vVLBVQ?feature=shared
https://www.stlouisfed.org/in-plain-english/who-owns-the-federal-reserve-banks
The New York Fed is 70% owned by JP Morgan Chase and Citybank.
Btw, if you are into this stuff, you might enjoy this;
https://youtu.be/ad-MKb_Zf0s?feature=shared
I am a fan of Chris Martenson's work, and I recommend The Accelerated Crash Course on Youtube - I used to use an earlier version to teach economics and business to students.
maybe later. There is only so much time.
A fact, one glossed over and obfuscated by "Palestinian" and Muslim partisans. Ayman Mohyeldin on MSNBC, he blamed Biden. That is no different than blaming the parents because the kid ran away for the trouble they have incurred for making a poor personal choice, but our modern pop psychology promotes the you made me do it mentality.
Anyway it is a waste of time trying to avoid responsibility, because Trump has promised to deport Muslims, even those born here. If you don't think he will or can, then you haven't read Project 2025, or noticed that it is his Supreme Court and by and large his Judiciary.
You keep talking, but what do we DO if we don't like this? I don't want to go back to SDS days, with "training" for "the war to come".
In the short term, speak up: To your friends, to your Members Of Congress, both Rs and Ds, hone your message, encourage your friends to vote blue from top to bottom. [I have a local R who is just a bit better, but when he pays his dues, he pays them to the RNC, so out he goes.]
Medium term you vote blue. Of two things one: either Trump wins of Biden wins. If Biden wins, encourage him and his Party to make the changes that will keep our Democracy safe from the likes of Trump. If we lose and Trump wins, Trump will attack us {women, blacks, Muslims Gays transgenders, non Xtians etc. Then we will have a bloody Civil War because it is impossible to stay at Peace when someone is waging war on us/US.
If that happens, get ready for battle, the kind that Giuliani talked about at the Ellipse on January 6th: "Mortal combat". Pick your targets carefully: 'elected' officials of the opposite Party, not civilians who were conned by Trump. But you don't want to be the one who fires the first shot: Keep your cool.
Cecile, I sincerely hope you are wrong about having another bloody civil war. I think is is more likely that our existing institutions — judicial system *including DoJ and judges right up to the Supremes) will stop the wholesale dismantling of government by the forces of chaos in the “Project 2025” Republican camp.
As a side note, I try to be judicious in my wording when making comments , though not always meeting with success. I think it is important to bear in mind that it is very easy for people to get wrapped up in “what if” scenarios that can lead them to make poor decisions, by anticipating the worst case outcomes of an election. (For this reason I try to avoid using colorful warfare metaphors like “weaponization” of the media, or “firing the first shot” or Giuliani’s “mortal combat”. Applying the language of warfare to political campaigns is hyperbole, firstly, but more importantly it amps up the emotions, typically resulting in a decline of reasonable discourse and perspective. On the other hand, if you are really expecting to get into a gunfight, you probably don’t want to tell the other guy that you are, literally, “locked and loaded.” Just sayin’.
Bond. George Bond II.
Yes
Spot on. I really hope that history doesn’t repeat/rhyme this year. We can not afford to hand the election to Trump.
To the protesters:
I empathize.
I vividly remember how it felt during the late 60’s as Robert writes.
I implore you, set aside your anger/frustration/ despair and VOTE BLUE.
We failed to see the forest for the trees. Please do not make the same mistake.
VOTE BLUE and live to fight another day. It is your best chance to create change. I hope that you will all be smarter than we were. Please, make the pragmatic choice.
Yes! Please young people…..vote, and vote blue. Take it also from this boomer, we know your anger is justified. Don’t give in and don’t give up. We screwed up by not forcing changes earlier, we got too comfortable.
Sorry, but our generation has created monsters. The poet Yeats would call them “rough beasts”. Radical changes are needed now. Radical, as in ‘to the root of’ , (not the word radical as used by Fox News to describe lefties).
We CANT let Trump win. If he does it’s over we all lose. Not hyperbole hold your nose and vote blue.
The changing of the old guard needs to accelerate. You can have a democracy (trust me you do), or you can have the country’s wealth in the hands of a few. You cannot have both.
Cueing Frank Wilhoit: Conservatism consists of only one premise: there must be an inner group that makes the laws but are not bound by them, and an outer group that is bound by laws but cannot help make them.
Those in power never give it up voluntarily.
My biggest regret and disappointment is our current Scotus, it is a huge roadblock.
The tide is staring to change, Trump is going down.
Be the bridge to a better USA. Keep shining!
You will get help from decent people.
And to build on W.B. Yeats -- it's upbto us to ensure that the center will hold -- and we do that by voting!
Bombay Troubadour, great post! Please share it with young people. Perhaps through social media. They need more wisdom voices to outweigh all of the loud and unwise elder voices/actions.
Maybe (some of) the student protestors are on to something, maybe they think killing of innocents is wrong everywhere. Maybe they think it’s weird to use our taxpayers dollars to support a war at the same time send aid. Reminds of that Bowie song.
“And these children that you spit on, as they try to change their worlds, are immune to your consultations. They’re quite aware of what they’re goin through”
As appropriate now as 40 years ago.
Bombay Troubadour, emphatically agree. And thanks for the Bowie reference. It surely is timeless (unfortunately).
yes,yes,yes
You rightfully make it clear to VOTE BLUE it’s not just the top of the ticket, it’s from school boards, city councils and State Government up. The other side wants book bans in schools and libraries, to take away women’s health choices. Healthcare, social security and Medicare, to suppress voting, to gerrymander themselves in forever, dominate the courts, oppose fair tax policies, etc.
Yes. Well said. Will the earnest enraged youth listen? I pray they do.
1968 gave us Nixon. The youth did not turn out to support Humphrey.
If you fail to reelect Biden/Harris, your children will hate you. And your grand kids will too, provided that your kids live long enough to reproduce.
Let us all learn from the past.
My motto remains:
VOTE BLUE up and down the ballot and live to fight another day/week/year/lifetime.
VOTE BLUE up and down the ballot as if your life and your freedoms depend on it. Because they do!
Sky 777, outstanding message, so geniunely from the heart! Would love to see that as a letter to young people on social media and billboards. Perhaps you could put it on social media. Voices of wisdom are desperately needed to counter the awful ones.
Thank you.
I no longer do social media. You are welcome to post it to places that might have impact on young people. Or even the not so young!
Sky 777, thanks, I'm not on social media either. But that's okay. You already put it out into the uniiverse and it's having positive effects. Exactly, what we all need. I hope it ripples far and wide.
There is never a good safe time to have children. You just have them and deal with what comes your way…
War , Disease, Divorce are just details to fill the background. Your job as parents is to teach your children how To Fight , when to fight when not to fight How to Read Write do arithmetic…
Get them ready to survive on their own and never expect them to be Grateful or to thank you for your sacrifices or efforts on their behalf…
Your payment is the Journey what they won’t Groke until your Aged and/or Dead…
You are right about never a safe time. But if Trump and his enablers are elected, democracy and the freedoms we take for granted are over. See Project 2025. See the recent Time interviews with trump.
If Trump wins, your children and grandchildren will someday ask you, “How could you have let this happen?” What answer will you have for them? Oh I didn’t vote (or voted third party) because Biden was a Zionist. Or will you be able to say, I did everything I could do to reelect Biden/Harris including voting blue up and down the ballot.
Choice is yours.
Made my choice in November of the last presidential election. My guy won for real !!!
Don’t Quit Plugging Away Until After the Polls Close !!!
I was in undergrad school at Boston University in the late 60s and participated a bit in the Vietnam War protests; also saw the SDS's involvement and student leaders' attempts to keep them from manipulating the actual student protest movement. Now I'm a retired philosophy professor and see this generation waking up to political injustice, power grabs by the obscenely rich, and the growing inequalities in our country. Good for them!! One thing my older perspective has given me is a great desire to participate in our democracy by volunteering to get voters involved and voting. I hope you can tell your students that it's possible to continue to hope for our democracy, and those of us who went through the turbulent 60s are still working for the cause. If we can do it, they can!
I went through the 60 and Vietnam and civil rights , assassinations criminal acts are not prosecuted god will not intervene
Most of the political crap espoused by both parties was self serving and pointless. Many of us were scared by he era and the war yet we are still alive .
Good guys in Poltics’s get crippled and expelled right away…
Cut out your own life and don’t be overly concerned about the political BS they are all crooks serving themselves vote but don’t get your hopes up…
Obama was the best after Carter
I graduated from Cal in 1977. It was a good time for me at least. But today is awful, especially for young people, but truly for most of us. I hope we dodge a bullet come November and work our way back to sanity and peace.
hi Diane
I graduated from CU Boulder in '77, and I too felt very lucky to study in such a sane and peaceful place, a sheltered beautiful, privileged place, but I dont think the US then or now is generally anything like that for most people, and I dont think it will be in the future. I'm voting for Jill Stein if shes on the ballot.
I’m voting for Biden since he’s the only possible way to keep dictator Trump from destroying the US. Just another lesser of two evils like most elections I have been eligible to vote in. I wish we had better options but Jill Stein isn’t one.
Why dont you think Jill Stein is a better option than Joe Biden? Is it because you dont agree with her policies, or is it just that you think she has no chance of winning, and therefore a vote for Jill is like not voting at all ?
She has no chance of winning and will help Trump. Believe me I hate the two party system but for now we’re stuck with it. Just being realistic.
Did you see her at the dinner table in Russia with Putin? 🤦♀️🤷♀️
Thank you Robert Reich for telling it like it was for all of us in college in the 1960's. We too felt disillusioned, but now realize that being pissed off at our government, not voting (Idid vote though) and a host of other ills, many of which have still not been resolved like racism, sexism and ageism as well as intolerance religiously, DID NOTHING TO CHANGE THE SITUATIONS. It's by voting in better people, who have a vision for this country like Amy Klobuchar, Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and may others that things will change. Being angry does nothing but leave you treading water. Get out and vote people, your country and life depend upon it.
If you’re lucky, it leaves you treading water. If you’re not voting, it could leave you drowning in something worse.
Americans of previous generations have voluntarily left civvy life to go fight wars, so that the rest of us can vote for the people and policies they prefer. Even if it comes down to picking “the least worst” choice, voting is a duty that we cannot shirk. I believe that if you can’t bring yourself to vote for a candidate with a D or R next to their name, a protest vote can still make a statement. Vote for Mickey Mouse if you must (though I’d go for Jed Bartlet), but at least show up and vote.
To add to Robert's comments, we must NOT forget the 'murders' of 4 student protestors at
Kent State U. during the Vietnam War protest era. If tfg is (re)elected to the Presidency, protests of
any kind could very well end in - his - stated 'bloodbath' ~ And WE THE PEOPLE do NOT want to see that happen ~
As a Kent grad, I agree with you. I’m glad students have become involved and voice their concerns about the slaughter in Gaza. I do not believe most of them are antisemitic. There are always those outsiders who cause trouble. We must never repeat the mistakes of May4, 1970. Killing and wounding peaceful protesters is never acceptable.
Dale, your comment is timely: just this morning Senator Tom Cotton stated that the current student protests are "little Gazas,." to be dealt accordingly
Omg
...T**** tried that in Portland OR in July of 2020 whe he sent federal marshals and for some odd reason CBP officers (which included their BORTAC special agents).
By the end of june protests in front of the Justice Centre had dwindled in size with crowds numbering a at best hundred or so people. T****'s action only escalated the situation drawing out more militant anti authoritarian protesters and anarchists who perpetrated much of the vandalism that ensued . The local police for the most part stood in the background allowing federal officers to confront and storm the protests as well as an encampment on one of the park blocks across form the Federal Courthouse, frequently dousing the area with CS gas as well as using flsahbangs, pepper rounds, and 40mm rubber bullets many also had military rifles with live ammo slung over their shoulders. Their primary purpose was to guard the Federal Courthouse, however they made frequent wide sweeps which would go for blocks and late declare large areas of downtown "off limits". Meanwhile BORTAC agents in unmarked rental vans would randomly abduct people off the streets. None of the agents deployed were trained in crowd control.
The mayhem lasted for about a month before the Governor orders the federal personnel to leave the city. Afterwards the more emboldened police department let loose with its Rapid Response Team took which used , using similar tactics that the feds employes along with acting like thugs trampling and beating up not only protesters but members of the independent media, first aid volunteers and even legal observers. I jet;y june fo th next year the unit disbanded after being charges with use of excessive force.
A number of people (elf included) view this as a "dry run" for further such actions in other cities that T**** threatened to do.
That month definitely was a dystopian experience.
Had he not deployed the federal officers the protests would have likely continued to dwindle save for occasional demonstrations south of the city centre (which were smaller) at the local ICE facility over his anti immigration policy that were separate from the downtown activity.
Tell your student this: The schools are reverberating with slogans such as “From the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” which to many ears means “Destroy the state of Israel and kill, expel, or subjugate its Jewish inhabitants.” We hear chants of “Globalize the Intifada,” which translates as “Bring mass murder to Jews everywhere on Earth.” We hear Jews blamed by association for every problem from police brutality to climate change—even both of those things at once. We see checkpoints on campus where Jews are quizzed on their beliefs before they are allowed to approach the university library. Why do you exclude this from your analysis of what students need to hear?
You are using selective sloganing. The protests are NOT about Jews, but the government of Netanyahu who seem to have forgotten the terrible genocide plans that the Nazis tried to eliminate them. They didn't fortunately, and neither will the Israelis eliminate Hamas. But the killing of innocent mostly women and children IS HORRIFIC, as horrific as murdering 6 million Jews. Also realize that many of the protests have been invaded by fear mongering outsiders who aren't even students at all. Prejudice on so many levels is rampant in this country fostered by people who are ignorant, fearful and uninformed about how settle differences. Violence is their main objective and creating chaos. Remain calm and vote FOR President Biden as he is quickly going to come around to being one catalyst for getting rid of Netanyahu and helping dissatisfied Israelis change their Prime Minister. Violence only begets more violence.
Thanks for a thoughtful comment. To use an old saying, you have an even keel when so many people are bombastic. I can be as argumentative as the next person, but this is a time for a measured response…which is where Biden’s experience comes into play. No immediate feel good comments, but does the hard work behind closed doors while shadow boxing a psycho MAGA maniac for the 2024 Presidency.
Biden better hurry up, as the killing in Gaza continues apace. Between him and androgynous Anthony Blinken all I read and hear from them is talk devoid of action while the killings in Gaza continue. How can they sleep with themselves?
Biden did not create the issue in the Middle East. Biden did not make Israel an American ally. Biden did not kill tens of thousands of Gazans - let alone give the order to do so. He is solely the president of the United States - voted there by tens of millions of Americans. However, by your logic, anyone that voted for Biden is also responsible for what is going on. So…are you ashamed?
Agreed BB Netanyahu. Is The Problem from attacking the USS Liberty ship and killing American Sailors was his start in wholesale murder; Gaza is His Latest Accomplishment .
Hitler SS provided the Blueprints and BBN Netanyahu has gone to New Lengths of Creating Hell On Earth Exclusively for GAZA…
Joe Biden Has Finished Talking to Netanyahu Now Joe Biden Will Slow Walk The War Supplies Until More Progress Toward Ending the War originallyTakes Place. Actions Or The Deliberate Lack of Action Speaks Louder Than Words… Netanyahu Loses…
To point out what should be obvious in an attempt to deescalate armchair experts, support for Israel and Israelis is separate from nor approval of its current leader. Likewise support for Palestine and Palestinians is separate from nor approval of Hamas.
Well, Alan, I hear you and yes, these are hurtful statements that may cause you a lot of anxiety. In war, it is always scary to hear that folks who live near you make hateful statements. I am not a Jew, I am not a Palestinian, but I know my history.
The State of Israel was created in 1948 [year of my birth] from lands where Palestinians lived, and they were chased out of their land. That was the original sin, committed by England, France and other European countries that went along with this inequity. But don't go believing that those countries loved Jews: Antisemitism runs rampant in Europe, and the creation of the State of Israel actually meant that Europeans could now say: leave Europe! go to Israel.![Another country that was created that way and for the same racist reason and by the same people. is the state of Liberia in Africa: so that Freed Slaves would have a place to go]
In 75 years, there have been constant or near constant conflicts over that question. A two State solution sounds nice and logical, but Jews and Palestinians are occupying the same area, by and large, so it is hard to start making a border that both could respect. And yet, that's what need to happen.
Netanyahu has constantly favored encouraging settlements outside of the recognized state of Israel, and that is against the treaties. If at least the Laws were the same for both Palestinians and Jews, but no. The government of Netanyahu has been horrible toward Palestinians. Hamas is a terrorist organization that has been terrible toward Jews.
Right now, Mr. Netanyahu is clearly wrong, just like Hamas was clearly wrong on October 7th.
As Americans, we should remove ourselves from that conflict and stop any and all weapons shipments to Israel or Hamas until Netanyahu is defeated.
The only help that should flow to that region is to protect Gazan lives and Israeli lives.
I have no hatred for either side and wish they could live in Peace.
Good Luck to you, Alan. May you give to Palestinians the same protections they give you. That is actually a worthwhile cause.
You are treating Israel, a legitimate country created where Jews had lived continuously since Biblical times, as an equal with Hamas, a terrorist organization funded by Iran. You might claim to know history, but I encourage you to do more research. Why are people demanding that Israel comply with Hamas's demands? It was Hamas that broke the ceasefire on October 7. It's absurd to believe any country negotiate with Hamas, which deliberately places Gazans in danger, arrests dissenters, and promises to repeat the actions of October 7 until Israel is eliminated.
" A legitimate country where Jews had lived continuously since Biblical Times". [Well, so have Palestinians for that matter:
The term Palestine first appeared in the 5th century BCE when the ancient Greek historian Herodotus wrote of a "district of Syria, called Palaistinê" between Phoenicia and Egypt in The Histories.
So if we are trying to figure out who has a right to living there by longevity in the area, I think both people have a right to,.
Jews have been traveling all over the world and a State was created for them in 1948, as I was saying.
Early humans arrived in the Fertile Crescent and Palestine about 500,000 years ago. Settled life there began between 12,500 and 9,500 BCE, when the semi-sedentary Natufian culture (named after Wadi Natuf, west of Ramallah) developed.
I do imagine that some of those folks eventually became Palestinians while others adopted the Jewish Faith.
Who is asking that Israel comply with Hamas' demands? Not me, if you think that the demands include a "from the river to the Sea" approach. I want Jews and Palestinians to learn to get along, if possible without our dollars.
Similarly, If Netanyahu's policy includes a "from the river to the sea" approach, he is wrong too.
As far as "putting Gazans in danger", it seems to me that demanding that Palestinians abandon their homes and go south into Gaza only to bomb them better, Netanyahu is doing a darn good job of that.
Iran is sheltering and helping these awful terrorists because they feel they can gain power, in a way not too dissimilar to what the US has been doing showering the State of Israel with money and weapons since its inception. Just like Iran is not a fair broker, the US is not a fair broker.
A more even handed approach would be to tell both of these powers to butt out, but neither side wants to do that!
The sad situation is that because the US is a big powerful country, we are constantly asked to intervene and enter conflicts that will not, in the end, benefit the US is any way.
Just like you feel that it is futile for the Jewish State to negotiate with Hamas, Hamas and the Palestinians feel it is futile to negotiate with Netanyahu.
I'm sorry, Laurie. there are only 2 solutions: Negotiations or continued war. You choose. There is nothing outside of that. The best for the US is to refuse to get dragged into WWIII.
Cecile: I agree with you but my understanding is that Hamas has refused to negotiate, so what to do? No good answer here.
Negotiations is a term requiring at least 2 parties to agree. What we have heard is that neither side likes the terms being presented by the other.
You’re right.
Thank you for this post.
Thank you for telling us what these slogans sound like to some Jews. But not all Jews hear them the same way. Jews for Peace and If Not Now... are brave Jewish organized and led groups who oppose the slaughter of Palestinians and demand a permanent ceasefire. That is anything but anti-semitic. Israel has become the Golden Calf that Moses found his people worshipping. Jews and Palestinians lived in peace in Palestine for centuries. In fact Sephardic DNA and Palestinian DNA are indistinguishable. It was with the massive arrival after WW2 of desperate Ashkenazi Jews (who before emigrating to Eastern Europe originated in Central Assia, not the Middle East) that the horrors of Zionism were visited upon the Palestinians. And those horrors never ended. So here we are today with the State of Israel, now a fait accompli, and a population of people who believe that they are God's Chosen People with a God given right to the land and homes of everyone in Israel who is not Jewish, and 2,3 million people whom God ostensibly doesn't give a damn about in the same land. Isn't it obvious what needs to be done and who has caused this problem in the first place?
Biden chants, “my support for Israel knows no limit nor reason.” And the genocidal killings in Gaza continue apace.
1. Biden is not king. Money comes from Congress. You assume you know, but in reality, you don't know what you don't know.
2. If you want a cease fire, protest Qatar, which gives asylum to murderers and acts as if it is an honest broker. Protest the Arab countries that murder other Arabs. Protest nearby Arab countries that refuse to help innocent Gazans escape.
3. Support Bennie Ganz.
Yada, yada, yada.
What an articulate response - not
The only deserving response
Nonsense! If Israel wanted genocide in Gaza, it would have happened months or years ago. What Israel wants is to defeat Hamas, whose charter calls for the murder of Jews everywhere and the elimination of the country of Israel.
Well - it’s a little more complicated than that. Israel has for decades pushed Palestinians out of their homes and taken land from them. If your neighbor had continually annexed your land - and half your house - what would you do? It’s much more complex than what you lead on.
It is more complicated as you say but you need to consider Netanyahu encouraging the settlers to take Palestinian land and not the entire country of Israel.
Netanyahu won’t stop the settlers from attacking Palestinians because it serves his larger purpose of expanding into land that Israel want to incorporate, aka annex, into its claimed territory.
Yes - that's one of the reasons why Netanyahu needs to be removed.
Except that Hamas is holding on to Jewish hostages it took on October 7th.
Guerrellas by definition don’t fight fair, but its practitioners are forced to fight unfairly in order to even up the odds of success against a better organized and supplied enemy. See Viet Cong guerrilla warfare tactics in the Vietnam war for details.
Hmmm, while that is certainly true that the Viet Cong Guerillas were a formidable enemy that didn't "fight fair", it is not just guerillas that don't fight fair:
Our use of defoliants during that conflict was chemical warfare, and many young Vietnamese born to mothers who were sprayed were born with horrible deformities and are suffering to this day... so there is that...
That’s true but completely off the subject.
Then they should stop murdering children!!!!!!
HAMAS put the gun in Netanyahu’s hand to accomplish what he’s wanted to accomplish all along but didn’t have the excuse provided him by HAMAS to do so.
Maybe he was behind it all?
That's not inconsistent with Biden's demand for a ceasefire and condemning the bombing in Gaza. Israel is more than just Netanyahu,
He announced tonight that no military aid would be sent to Israel. There was proposed cease fire agreement drafted to free the hostages and have a cease fire. Neither Hamas nor Netanyahu showed up. This is war between two leaders with the use of civilians in the middle.
That is not correct -
Well said and I might ask did the students in 1968 know anymore about the political climate of Vietnam than the students of today supporting terrorists who basically know little about the history of the middle east?!
No
"They tell me they don’t want to have children and bring them into a world imperiled by conflict and climate change and authoritarianism."
My Mom & I had similar discussions re the wisdom of having children. Back in the 70's. I asked why would I want to bring kids into this broken world? She responded, If you don't raise caring children, then who will fix what is wrong
There's a song that contains the lyrics "only stupid people are breeding", which is the premise of the movie Ideocracy. Have we already arrived at that point?
Our brilliant granddaughter has just been accepted to a prestigious small university on a very safe campus. We are relieved she chose that school and not the larger state universities she was also accepted at after watching the last few weeks of turmoil on those campuses. That did not affect her choice however. She is very motivated and optimistic about the future and her part in making this a better world and she certainly has the ability to contribute to that. I fear for her and our future if Trump gets elected. I feel the cynicism of our youth and his oppressive policies will cause this beautiful next generation to lose hope and give up. They are our best hope for solving so many of the problems facing our world - climate, wars, disease, political, etc. We must do everything in our power to re- elect President Biden and give him a Democratic Congress in order to save our country and give the youth their chance. Robert, I too was in college and came of age at the same time as you. I think the difference now is that we are facing more existential problems and a madman who shouldn’t even be allowed to run threatening to turn around progress we’ve made on these issues and take us back to a place where our future cannot survive and give the next generation a chance.
Best wishes to your granddaughter!
Thank you
Karen I will not be voting for Trump but I am not quite as worried about our Democracy as everyone on this feed is if he gets elected. He will be a lame duck president and he might even control the border. The president of this country doesn’t really have the power to make this country a dictatorship and the talk of it is total propaganda! Don’t forget the progressive left has control of the media and the universities and has weaponized the DOJ to go after any and all conservatives they can. This administration also silenced many brilliant thought leaders during Covid so they could push the vaccine and continue lockdowns and school closures. I call that a big threat to Democracy! I feel like these comments are those of silly children that watch cable news networks. Godspeed to Israel to put down Hamas terrorists as they have as much right to have a country as any Muslim in the middle east.
Control of the media is shared between the fascist right & the corporate mainstream the media. The progressive left has precious little presence on the media these days, which explains how fascism has become the threat it is today, when it would hardly have been conceived 30 years ago (before Murdoch & Fox).
Thank you Jamie.
Msm is very pro left. I consider cable television news to be in a category all by itself so if watching those channels you are usually right to far right if watching Fox and if watching MSMbc or CNN you are more progressive left! Not sure what news you are watching? People that are center left or center right seem to be letting the far fringes of society rule the news waves! Like why transgender ideology is constantly shoved in our faces when historically only .01% of the population are actually transgender! I personally feel there are far more important things for our news media and government to be focused on!
That has been the right-wing narrative for 60 years or so, & it may have been true at 1 time. After all, journalists have normally taken up this career because they have a drive to discover & reveal the truth, & truth famously has a liberal bias. But eventually these complaints about a liberal bias in the media had their intended effect of pushing the media to the right. It was important for thir reputation, at least back then, for news organizations to be, or at least appear to be, politically neutral. So they hired more conservative pundits, & made sure that conservative views got out there. That still didn't quiet the complaints. Then corporations took over mainstream news broadcasts & the owners themselves wanted a more conservative, corporatist bent. The Fairness Doctrine & Truth in Advertising (which applied to political ads, too) were no longer enforced, & conservative outlets proliferated, especially on radio, but also on TV. In this century, Russia has infiltrated & permeated social media, the Republican Party & various other US institutions with russofascist propaganda,
which is how globalism, Soros & other Russian bogeymen became part of Republican disinformational propaganda.
There is a small but vocal part of the left that has been consumed with political correctness: making sure that the "proper terms are used to describe people or things, & are overly concerned with personal pronouns, sexual identity, intersectionality, white male privilege, which has aggravated many people in the center & on the right, & even a few on the left. It's 1 thing to inform people about these other ways of looking at things, but pushing them on people naturally provokes resistance & backlash, which has turned out to be disproportionate in the harm caused.
I certainly agree with you that there are many far more important issues to focus on than what most of the media & most politicians spend most of their time talking about.
Thank you for this post, saved me from needing to reply.
What happened to the edit function? Anyway an extra "the" found its way to the end of the first sentence somehow.
Also my comments as I'm writing them become confined to a box, & I'm unable to move (scroll) them so I can either proofread or edit words in the post that aren't shown in the box.
It sounds to me as if you watch FOX! Excuse me - it was the Trump administration that silenced brilliant scientists during Covid and supported Trump’s crazy rantings about it that helped contribute to over a million deaths before we had the vaccine that got us back to normal. Where have you been since 2020 - in a cave. Trump is the one who will politicize the DOJ to persecute his enemies - he has told us so. And just because he’s a demented raving fool doesn’t mean he can’t destroy our democracy - he’s vowed to put into power people like Bannon, Miller and Stone who have outright said that’s their goal. I think you need to pay better attention Andrea dear.
Actually never watch Fox MSNBC or for many years now CNN. I read independent media since 2020. I’m a disenchanted Democrat who feels like government in general is failing the American people. I would say the brilliant Doctors are the ones who did the Great Barrington study! The fact that our social media outlets censored speech during the pandemic is absolutely criminal and against the first amendment we have in this country!!! I am totally sick of ESG and DEI and all the now racist BS that is making this country even more divided. Joe Biden promised to heal this country and bring everyone together ( yeah right) Just keep letting people cross the border without even vetting them😩Trump is not a choice for so many reasons I would end up writing a book here! I will skip the 2024 voting this year unless Biden is out and a new vibrant young candidate comes on the scene. Joe Biden should go retire and enjoy the rest of his life. Its elder abuse at this point
Glad I chose not to produce any kinder back at the time in life Dr Reich is saying his students are vowing the same - and I'm in my '70s, too! I still feel I did right by the kids I never had.
My memories as well. My husband fought in Vietnam and flew as a helicopter over the DMZ. Today seems much worse w Trump encouraging hate and fighting amongst ourselves. I think of the Civil War when Americans fought against themselves and now we have an unSupreme Court most of whom support Trump who is trying to destroy our Democracy.
...it started during his 2016 campaign when at rallies he often encouraged his supporters to rough and beat up protesters.
Exactly, we managed to survive Nixon, but Trump is so much worse and is holding hands with Putin. Republicans have been manipulating the narrative since Nixon had to resign.
Atty. Barr will vote for Trump, even though he testified that he is guilty of promoting the coup of January 6th, because he thinks the democrats are worse.
I didn’t hear how you gave them hope!
The problem is the “ LYING “ by Trump on every subject - from world domination to his wives - LIE LIE LIE …why do you think lying was put in the 10 commandments? It hurts everyone black white brown yellow orange purple red blue
I suppose the reality show we’re witnessing ought to be called “the lying king”?
Thanks for this one. It’s hard to find words at the moment. I will be 40 this year. I can honestly say that I’ve unironically used a rotary phone, and also had the internet thing well in hand by age 10.
I feel for those younger than me. They never had a chance to glimpse the world when the future was still a guarantee. Stability was arguably a thing. Our rights as Americans were protected by precedent and a non partisan court. At least I have an idea of what it looks like. It’s basically been Idiocracy for their entire political lives.
I will keep your words in mind when I’m having a hard time giving younger people a reason to keep fighting. 💛
Were you on a party line? We were. 😄
No party line! But I know what one is 😁
It, listening in, could be fun at times. 😄
I never would have put the thing down. I loved listening on the other side of the door open the grownups were talking
When *
I’m your age, one thing I would add is this:
Do not get complacent when things improve. My generation did.
Do not get complacent about political groups and PACs like “citizens united” or the “federalists society.” BE Skeptical about groups that appear/seem to be benign- but in reality seek power to keep Power and Freedom from You.
Be Vigilant With ALL Rights; right for you and people Not You but Americans as well
The right to read, vote, choose a religion or choose none, have a family OR not, the right to clean air & water (essential to life itself), right to eat health clean food as it was meant to be, your rights AND the future of generations yet to come.
Don’t Get Complacent.
Read or watch 2 different news sources- local & national. Pay Attention, no matter how tired you may be. I was a single mom- I get tired & working hard, trying to have a life. Just pay attention
Money isn’t everything; it’s only a means. The things that matter are your Relationships; not your bank account or golden toilets.
Be Vigilant, Stay Vigilant, Vote FOR those who Respect you, your life, and Your Collective RIGHTS.
Your freedom.
"They are repulsed by the slaughter in Gaza, and angry by the responses of university administrators around the country to the student protesters." I hope they are still repulsed by the murders, rapes, and kidnapping by Hamas terrorists from Gaza in Israel on October 7. Perhaps it's easier to just be part of a screaming mob so they don't have to remember why Israel is fighting in Gaza.
Well said - stop confusing these people with inconvenient facts.