It is clear to me that trump is setting up a ‘heads I will tails you lose’ election. His potential vp (Celebrity Apprentice) candidates in turn befouled their reputations by sidestepping the acceptance of results question. Tim Scott should be ashamed of himself. They all should.
That's what Roger Stone's April, 2016 creation of "Stop the Steal" was/is all about. Do a google search for "rigged election" and you will find Stone and Trump claiming the "the election will be rigged" before every election from 2016 to now. It's an obvious con trick (heads I win, tails you lose) the Press and many gullible voters fall for. Stone and Trump grin in your face while they pick your pocket.
Absolutely true. I remember Trump saying in 2016 that if he lost it was because the election was "rigged." This was a deliberate dog whistle for the right wing, and it still is.
Steve, I was disappointed and sad to read this piece. While I share your opposition to an autocratic/fascist candidate, you seem to have forgotten that the ends do not justify the means as it appears you are advocating regarding Gaza.
1. That there are wholesale and deliberate atrocities against civilians in Gaza is a fact. The ICJ has indicated that there is a plausible genocide (see paragraph 54 of the ruling at https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/e9d8337ab5ae1d92/72977573-full.pdf). Aid organizations, medical teams on ground and independent journalists have confirmed. At least 24,000 human beings have lost their lives, the majority women and children. The deliberately imposed famine is raging, entire infrastructure of Gaza including water, medical supplies and food have been destroyed. International and US domestic laws have been flouted or ignored. This supersedes all politics and alliances. Kudos to the protestors who are brave enough to put their humanity on the line even if it means jail, mistreatment or expulsion. How many of us are willing to do the same?
2. When the government of one group perpetrates war crimes and genocide against a people, there will always be those who will deny it is happening or rationalize it. Thus, for example, Turkey claims that the Armenian genocide never happened, that it was just wartime confusion. But it did and was finally recognized by the US in 2007. While some might attempt to smear the entire nation of Turkey, this would be wrong and unfortunate but doesn’t change the facts of the genocide. What would be more wrong is to pretend the genocide never happened. In the same way, there are antisemitic people who will attempt to blame the nation of Israel and all its inhabitants for the government’s horrific slaughter in Gaza. This is wrong and must be opposed but cannot be used as a justification for keeping silent. If you are blaming the protestors for the presence of these undesirable elements, you are missing the whole point of the protest and the indescribable evil and horror on a people.
3. The link you gave supporting your claim that young people don’t see Gaza as a priority belies that claim. I suggest you read it carefully because it actually suggests the opposite.
4. I wouldn’t be quoting the administration as an unbiased source on the negotiations. They have indicated that if talks collapse, it is totally Hamas’s fault. Really? That is ludicrous as public statements by the Israeli government point to a lack of interest in getting a deal for the hostages. The administration is pretending that none of these public statements matter which is ludicrous.
5. The situation in Gaza should be concerning to all Americans because their tax dollars are being used to commit the atrocities. Rather than chide the protestors for hurting Biden’s reelection effort in pointing this out, maybe we should all as a nation strive to convince the administration to substantially work for a permanent cease fire/hostage deal and a workable plan to have all people live together unlike the effort now that appears to be for show only.
6. “Dissent must never lead to disorder” - one of those phrases that sound good but has never been true. Any protest worth its salt against the status quo has some disorder to gain attention. This is different than violence which should never be tolerated. One only has to look at the civil rights non-violent movement in the US and its heroes such as Martin Luther King, to see how this type of thinking by the administration was deemed harmful. MLK talked about the white moderate’s affinity towards order over justice as harmful. He and others like John Lewis called for good trouble and necessary trouble. Notice that the prioritization of order over protests is used by those who disagree with the point of the protests and wish to suppress them.
I’ve been a member of America, America for some time now. I’ve come to expect a certain objective standard and quality in your posts. This last post disappointed me immensely. I’ve noticed over the years that It is easy to spout principles when they support one’s end or their candidate. It’s more difficult to adhere to those principles when that end or candidate’s election appears to be in jeopardy. The latter takes real courage but is what is needed for credibility in the long run.
John—A few points: I know this is a fraught topic with members of this community ranging widely in their views. Yes, I didm’t dig into the terrible crisis in Gaza, but instead stayed closer to the American context. I think you know that I oppose barbarism in all its forms, but chose to emphasize both the original barbarism that triggered this terrible chapter and the error of siding with Hamas (whose mission of exterminating the Jewish people is in their original covenant) rather than the Palestinian people who are clearly victims here. As for the link you mention, you may want to revisit it. I was referring to point 4 there which charted 16 issues important to young people 18-29. Of those, Israel/Palestine came in 15th.
Thanks for your reply Steve, I appreciate it. My take regarding point 4 is that I don’t think the table is an indication of whether an issue is “low priority” or not (If it was, student debt is very unimportant and President Biden should forget about canceling it since students must be happy with the way it is. Indeed, women’s reproductive rights are 8th, and climate change is 12. Rather, it was meant to compare with other issues and indicate which was relatively more important. What caught my eye is point 2, a majority (5 to 1) want a permanent cease fire in Gaza which I thought was salient and appeared to be missed.
Thank you John. I had the same stomach churning reaction as I read Steven’s post. It’s probably why I let it sit on my back burner before reacting. The following two paragraphs are from the AP report directly from Rafah, Gaza Strip and was submitted by Isam Adwan and Josef Federman on 10/7/23.
“The attack comes at a time of historic division within Israel over Netanyahu’s proposal to overhaul the judiciary. Mass protests over the plan have sent hundreds of thousands of Israeli demonstrators into the streets and prompted hundreds of military reservists to avoid volunteer duty — turmoil that has raised fears over the military’s battlefield readiness.
It also comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, with the peace process effectively dead for years.
“Over the past year, Israel’s far-right government has ramped up settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler violence has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there and tensions have flared around a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.”
Of course there is a lot more about the attack THAT ISRAEL KNEW ABOUT BUT SEEMED TO LET HAPPEN ANYWAY that pretty well summarizes the lead up to it. I’m certainly not going to assume what any of the students doing the work of trying to get this insane part of the world to finally stop, sit down and STFU, but I can tell you what this 77 year old Boomer is thinking with some certainty and that is for the media, talking heads and politicians to stop seeing these protests as “anti semitic” or “pro Palestinian” but as “anti GENOCIDAL”.
I spent three weeks in Israel back in 1993 when my son was working in Haifa. We drove from the Syrian border to Elat and I was able to see for myself how the Arab population was being treated back then. Over the years I have made friends with a few Palestinian/Americans, fell in love with and learned to prepare some of their dishes and speak a frog’s hair of Arabic. I grew up in a mid Atlantic state in a small mountain town where quite a few post WW2 Jews settled and created thriving businesses. I went to school with their children and called many my friends. I harbor no animosity toward any one person. I’ve been very fortunate in being able to travel and experience other people and other cultures. I find it terribly sad that some people seem to believe that the center of the Universe is in the US. Not only are the protesters trying to focus our attention on the genocide going on in Gaza but so is most of the civilized world, for heaven’s sake. Many of us know that President Biden is pushing for a cease fire and a two state solution, Netanyahu has pretty much told us to stuff it. So where does that leave us? Here’s just the latest; https://youtu.be/svdg3wh9n54?si=CXVrqjsBOAzwfYw0
It is so heartbreaking but the worst part is to read the excuses and denials found everywhere. I have lived my entire life in the United States but IMO, this should be a no brainer for all Americans of good will. No one, no matter what race or country they belong to or live in should have to endure what the people in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and other places have had to endure. It does not have to be this way, it really doesn’t. I’m grateful to those protesting who have put the common “me first” philosophy aside and embraced caring about the welfare of their fellow human beings ahead of their own.
And, just to add: NYC temples warning of pro-Palestinian protest interrupting (wait for it? Religious services? No. Graduation ceremonies? Already done) ... THE MET GALA! How in hell do women dressed like abstract paintings and donating $75,000 a person to the museum preserving the world's great art -- figure in to a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli protest?
While the President rightly supports the people of Israel, he’s been firm with Netanyahu, but his ministrations have fallen on deaf ears. The same might apply to these demonstrators. The ultimate effect of their actions is to terrify those who disagree with them. Whereas some people might point their fingers at Jews being the counter demonstrators which cause violence I would say that the fine line here is antisemitism. Mainline Jewish students live in constant fear of attacks, verbally and physically. This is unacceptable. The demonstrators while protesting are supporting Hamas. That too is unacceptable and illegal-advised.
In general I agree. But I do wonder, in paragraph 2, who is the "they" of which you speak? All the protestors, all shouting antisemitic slogans? Or maybe some of them, the rabble rousers always attracted to protests? So WHAT if some students--a few only, I am sure--are in favor of terrorism? Is anyone going into a trump rally or JD Vance speech or Fuentes interview and arresting the listeners for being pro authoritarian or even neo-Nazi?
WHY are these protests so disruptive? Several universities have dealt with them peacefully, leading to the packing up of tents after negotiations. The issue behind these protests is divestment of investments supporting Bibi's war efforts--and just having an administration promise to THINK about it is satisfying the protestors. What role does sending the cops in immediately play in the disruption, even the enhanced disruption like the occupation of that building at Columbia (which I don't support). What exactly is disruptive about a bunch of tents? If they were a bunch of tents set up to, say, give students a place to register to vote, would they be disruptive even if the university hadn't given its blessing ahead of time?
Most important, what is the role of the media and conservative fear mongering? Lots of coverage of "outside agitators" that ASSUMES they are "agitating in favor of terrorists?" How do we know they aren't teaching the techniques of peaceful disobedience.
Why should a peaceful protest lead to arrests because counter-protestors are violent? It is even stated that the FEAR of protestors is responsible--not what they are actually doing, but what they "might" do. The same thing is behind the shutting down of graduation ceremonies. I graduated in 1966. There were anti-war protestors even then (it all started in 1965). And we graduated quite peacefully. No heads knocked. Nothing thrown.
I'm not sure that the protests are creating the fear so much as the response is embracing that fear coming from elsewhere. How many people in, say, Iowa feared immigrants before they were told the really should?
Yes, remove and expel those who shout slurs or worse .I haven't actually seen any reports of Jewish students being actually, physically, attacked, but if hate speech is prohibited by campus code, then the university has the right to discipline the speakers. I read of one university, however, who has hastily amended its code of conduct to INCLUDE raising tents. So much for those voter registration folks. And I read (in places like Fox and the NY Post, to be sure) that ONE guy who cosplayed Hamas by dressing up in typical garb meant the whole protest was antisemitic.
We need way better reporting. We need reporters to LISTEN to the spokespeople for the protestors and report what they say--not whine that they can't just ask random students who don't claim to speak for all and should not have to. We need specific instances of antisemitic behavior and what the administrations are doing about those specific instances and whether everyone arrested in a sweep was actually doing anything antisemitic. I suspect the lawyers for the kids arrested are asking those questions--will the media report on the results if they don't fit the narrative?
We live a country subjected to fear of all sorts of things we never thought to fear before trump told us we should. Only actual reporting, not generalizations, will ever get us to understand what is actually fearful and what is fear based on insidious rhetoric. One person on The Bulwark said that he'd listened to a Jewish girl's fear and sympathized but did not say what she actually said. What was it she took to be antisemitic? Another report talked about a Jewish student who said her fear was of chants to "Free Palestine" because she took that to mean "eradicate Israel" That chant does no such thing. How much else of the fear is in the eye of the beholder? Until we know what both the protestors and the person feeling threatened actually SAY we can't really know.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Boy is THAT statement true 80 odd years later.
I think there’s a point you are missing and that is the verbal abuse Jewish students have faced at the universities. They’re scared. They see some of their professors supporting the free-Palestine students. But that’s the funny thing…they are not all students and have been, in fact, found to be ‘hired hands” to promote disruption and blame all Jews for the devastation in Gaza. What’s not consistently spoken about is that Hamas raped, killed, burned, and kidnapped girls, women, babies, boys and men. Is that normal? NO! Do most Jews and Israelis like what Netanyahu and his Likud party has done? Absolutely, not!! No one wants him to be in charge. he is the one holding up the ceasefire and getting hostages returned, as we speak. Biden sends weaponry to protect Israelis, not to protect Netanyahu and the crazies like him. If Bibi does not concede to the terms, he must be removed.
I am not missing the point, I am questioning it. How many students have actually encountered antisemitic threats? Is it actual abuse or is it something they have been told is antisemitic when it is actually anti-Bibi? What is antisemitic about "Free Palestine?" Isn't that an exact description of the two-state solution?? The hard facts are 1) that the Israeli government has long interfered with Gaza's economy (a blockade even if not absolute is still a blockade) and 2) this the government is supporting actual taking over Palestinian land in the West Bank. Freeing Palestinians means stopping this.
And what are students actually afraid of? Do they think someone is going to erupt from the tents with scimitars? Some students have been called antisemitic names. But by whom? The protestors are in the tents, not wandering around campus. And what names?
No one is overlooking the Hamas terrorist attack. The thing people are questioning is whether the rape and murder and kidnapping of a thousand people justifies killing over 34,000 people.
Oh yeah, "human shields." And who is proclaiming that this is a good reason? Good old Bibi and the IDF. The Bibi who actually supported Hamas as it was cementing power as an authoritarian pseudo government. The IDF who has admitted that they ignored intelligence that warned of this and were totally unprepared and did nothing to beef up security along the border and had moved forces in fact to protect "settlers" on the West bank.
Where do I get this information? There were some reports early on in the MSM about Bibi's support of Hamas, and some about the IDF's confessions, but I mainly read Haaretz. An Israeli news source.
And how many of the non-students arrested have been proven to be "outside agitators" who want to "blame all Jews?" ANY? Are all non-students who care about the problems in Palestine blaming all Jews? Or are some simply folks who blame Bibi?
We--the public AND the Jewish students--are being absolutely SLATHERED by assumptions and allegations about either the motives of the protestors or the fears of Jewish students. We are being bombarded with inflammatory language--agitators, "be very afraid" from both the administration and some rabbi who wasn't actually on campus. "From the River to the Sea?" Consider this: "The 1977 election manifesto of the right-wing Israeli Likud party said: "Between the sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty." This is NOT either a one-side slogan nor a one-side ambition.
Yes, punish those who actually are hurling antisemitic threats. Just don't assume that is everyone.
We must not let ourselves be played until there is actual evidence of the nature and scope of the danger to Jews in this crisis. The question is really who benefits from all the "chaos" and who benefits from insisting the situation IS chaos? May I suggest Elise Stefanik and her ilk, who have been "outside agitators" even before there were any protests.
I continue to be shocked and angry at the display of sycophancy from Republican members of Congress and other elected officials. Watching Tim Scott's behavior on Meet The Press had me shouting at my television. It's the very definition of putting party above country and none of them deserve to serve in Congress. And I know there are way more of us than there are of them, but inspiring all of us to vote during these difficult times when people are just exhausted over everything that's going on is going to be hard.
These are times that make the 50s sound great.At this point of student unrest, I see herd mentality.Dressed up in Islamic clothing and putting head to ground must somewhat rile trump as he wants only a Christian country. But it might support his aims for now. Many who wish to graduate had their high school graduations upset by the pandemic. Not a happy generation. Not all students either.
A 40 year old man was among the arrested.
I am not supportive of Biden's soft pedaling trump . There is plenty to call him out for without saying he is guilty of it all before convicted in the courts. Even tho the present judge is doing a good job of suppressing trump's mouth, he is letting him off for Barron's graduation, something trump says he and Melania have talked about and looked forward to for years. What a bunch of baloney. With his time spent romping around the country and putting out vile messages, I'll bet weeks go by when he might, just might, pass Barron in a hall. Fani screwed up, Judge Cannon is a laugh, there is nothing we can do about SCOTUS which has shown their inclination by even taking on the ridiculous immunity question.It just seems to all work in trump's favor. What we wouldn't give to see him spend just one night in jail. He says that would be an honor-oh sure! Time for Joe to talk it up, not wait....and wait.....and wait. Then there is Merrick Garland, number one wuss of the administration, so afraid of taking sides, as if there is another one.
Vote we will. Time will tell. Wish upon a few stars.
The Republican Party is shrinking. This self appointed committee has a MAGA Purity Test. If you aren't sufficiently Trump loyal, you don't get to run for office as a Republican.
2. Forgot polling for a second. Talk with friends and family who are members of the younger generations. I am a baby boomer with family members who are Gen Z and millenials. They will not vote for Trump (just like my baby boomer generation never voted/supported Nixon in 68. However,, their lack of enthusiasm for Biden is evident. Ongoing wars only add to an uncertain future, also resulting in younger generation to focus on daily issues, like rent or other costs of living.
I wonder if Trump, if elected, has in mind take down the Statue of Liberty?
Thank you for this very clear and succinct newsletter today. I just don't understand these protests that hurt Biden, when it is the extreme Republicans who are against the Palestinian state.
I have been associated with UCLA for over 40 years, and my friends there tell me that very few of these "protestors" are students or even in any way part of the school. I know it's just anecdotal evidence of perfidy but these are people that have been there for decades.
And just to add: Is defendant Don not only bad-mouthing the "corrupt" system, but also encouraging (in his threats by implication way) his Jan 6 - like followers to physically attack Judge Merchan? Seems that way. The front of Trump's building on 5th Ave has so many barriers (metal / others) that it looks like a war zone.
It is clear to me that trump is setting up a ‘heads I will tails you lose’ election. His potential vp (Celebrity Apprentice) candidates in turn befouled their reputations by sidestepping the acceptance of results question. Tim Scott should be ashamed of himself. They all should.
That's what Roger Stone's April, 2016 creation of "Stop the Steal" was/is all about. Do a google search for "rigged election" and you will find Stone and Trump claiming the "the election will be rigged" before every election from 2016 to now. It's an obvious con trick (heads I win, tails you lose) the Press and many gullible voters fall for. Stone and Trump grin in your face while they pick your pocket.
Absolutely true. I remember Trump saying in 2016 that if he lost it was because the election was "rigged." This was a deliberate dog whistle for the right wing, and it still is.
Yes, I remember that statement too. It was disgusting and frightening at that time and rings true today.
All of them should be ashamed. Kristi Noem- ugh
Steve, I was disappointed and sad to read this piece. While I share your opposition to an autocratic/fascist candidate, you seem to have forgotten that the ends do not justify the means as it appears you are advocating regarding Gaza.
1. That there are wholesale and deliberate atrocities against civilians in Gaza is a fact. The ICJ has indicated that there is a plausible genocide (see paragraph 54 of the ruling at https://static01.nyt.com/newsgraphics/documenttools/e9d8337ab5ae1d92/72977573-full.pdf). Aid organizations, medical teams on ground and independent journalists have confirmed. At least 24,000 human beings have lost their lives, the majority women and children. The deliberately imposed famine is raging, entire infrastructure of Gaza including water, medical supplies and food have been destroyed. International and US domestic laws have been flouted or ignored. This supersedes all politics and alliances. Kudos to the protestors who are brave enough to put their humanity on the line even if it means jail, mistreatment or expulsion. How many of us are willing to do the same?
2. When the government of one group perpetrates war crimes and genocide against a people, there will always be those who will deny it is happening or rationalize it. Thus, for example, Turkey claims that the Armenian genocide never happened, that it was just wartime confusion. But it did and was finally recognized by the US in 2007. While some might attempt to smear the entire nation of Turkey, this would be wrong and unfortunate but doesn’t change the facts of the genocide. What would be more wrong is to pretend the genocide never happened. In the same way, there are antisemitic people who will attempt to blame the nation of Israel and all its inhabitants for the government’s horrific slaughter in Gaza. This is wrong and must be opposed but cannot be used as a justification for keeping silent. If you are blaming the protestors for the presence of these undesirable elements, you are missing the whole point of the protest and the indescribable evil and horror on a people.
3. The link you gave supporting your claim that young people don’t see Gaza as a priority belies that claim. I suggest you read it carefully because it actually suggests the opposite.
4. I wouldn’t be quoting the administration as an unbiased source on the negotiations. They have indicated that if talks collapse, it is totally Hamas’s fault. Really? That is ludicrous as public statements by the Israeli government point to a lack of interest in getting a deal for the hostages. The administration is pretending that none of these public statements matter which is ludicrous.
5. The situation in Gaza should be concerning to all Americans because their tax dollars are being used to commit the atrocities. Rather than chide the protestors for hurting Biden’s reelection effort in pointing this out, maybe we should all as a nation strive to convince the administration to substantially work for a permanent cease fire/hostage deal and a workable plan to have all people live together unlike the effort now that appears to be for show only.
6. “Dissent must never lead to disorder” - one of those phrases that sound good but has never been true. Any protest worth its salt against the status quo has some disorder to gain attention. This is different than violence which should never be tolerated. One only has to look at the civil rights non-violent movement in the US and its heroes such as Martin Luther King, to see how this type of thinking by the administration was deemed harmful. MLK talked about the white moderate’s affinity towards order over justice as harmful. He and others like John Lewis called for good trouble and necessary trouble. Notice that the prioritization of order over protests is used by those who disagree with the point of the protests and wish to suppress them.
I’ve been a member of America, America for some time now. I’ve come to expect a certain objective standard and quality in your posts. This last post disappointed me immensely. I’ve noticed over the years that It is easy to spout principles when they support one’s end or their candidate. It’s more difficult to adhere to those principles when that end or candidate’s election appears to be in jeopardy. The latter takes real courage but is what is needed for credibility in the long run.
John—A few points: I know this is a fraught topic with members of this community ranging widely in their views. Yes, I didm’t dig into the terrible crisis in Gaza, but instead stayed closer to the American context. I think you know that I oppose barbarism in all its forms, but chose to emphasize both the original barbarism that triggered this terrible chapter and the error of siding with Hamas (whose mission of exterminating the Jewish people is in their original covenant) rather than the Palestinian people who are clearly victims here. As for the link you mention, you may want to revisit it. I was referring to point 4 there which charted 16 issues important to young people 18-29. Of those, Israel/Palestine came in 15th.
Thanks for your reply Steve, I appreciate it. My take regarding point 4 is that I don’t think the table is an indication of whether an issue is “low priority” or not (If it was, student debt is very unimportant and President Biden should forget about canceling it since students must be happy with the way it is. Indeed, women’s reproductive rights are 8th, and climate change is 12. Rather, it was meant to compare with other issues and indicate which was relatively more important. What caught my eye is point 2, a majority (5 to 1) want a permanent cease fire in Gaza which I thought was salient and appeared to be missed.
100 percent spot-on. I'm very disappointed in today's post.
Thank you John. I had the same stomach churning reaction as I read Steven’s post. It’s probably why I let it sit on my back burner before reacting. The following two paragraphs are from the AP report directly from Rafah, Gaza Strip and was submitted by Isam Adwan and Josef Federman on 10/7/23.
“The attack comes at a time of historic division within Israel over Netanyahu’s proposal to overhaul the judiciary. Mass protests over the plan have sent hundreds of thousands of Israeli demonstrators into the streets and prompted hundreds of military reservists to avoid volunteer duty — turmoil that has raised fears over the military’s battlefield readiness.
It also comes at a time of mounting tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, with the peace process effectively dead for years.
“Over the past year, Israel’s far-right government has ramped up settlement construction in the occupied West Bank, Israeli settler violence has displaced hundreds of Palestinians there and tensions have flared around a flashpoint Jerusalem holy site.”
Of course there is a lot more about the attack THAT ISRAEL KNEW ABOUT BUT SEEMED TO LET HAPPEN ANYWAY that pretty well summarizes the lead up to it. I’m certainly not going to assume what any of the students doing the work of trying to get this insane part of the world to finally stop, sit down and STFU, but I can tell you what this 77 year old Boomer is thinking with some certainty and that is for the media, talking heads and politicians to stop seeing these protests as “anti semitic” or “pro Palestinian” but as “anti GENOCIDAL”.
I spent three weeks in Israel back in 1993 when my son was working in Haifa. We drove from the Syrian border to Elat and I was able to see for myself how the Arab population was being treated back then. Over the years I have made friends with a few Palestinian/Americans, fell in love with and learned to prepare some of their dishes and speak a frog’s hair of Arabic. I grew up in a mid Atlantic state in a small mountain town where quite a few post WW2 Jews settled and created thriving businesses. I went to school with their children and called many my friends. I harbor no animosity toward any one person. I’ve been very fortunate in being able to travel and experience other people and other cultures. I find it terribly sad that some people seem to believe that the center of the Universe is in the US. Not only are the protesters trying to focus our attention on the genocide going on in Gaza but so is most of the civilized world, for heaven’s sake. Many of us know that President Biden is pushing for a cease fire and a two state solution, Netanyahu has pretty much told us to stuff it. So where does that leave us? Here’s just the latest; https://youtu.be/svdg3wh9n54?si=CXVrqjsBOAzwfYw0
It is so heartbreaking but the worst part is to read the excuses and denials found everywhere. I have lived my entire life in the United States but IMO, this should be a no brainer for all Americans of good will. No one, no matter what race or country they belong to or live in should have to endure what the people in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and other places have had to endure. It does not have to be this way, it really doesn’t. I’m grateful to those protesting who have put the common “me first” philosophy aside and embraced caring about the welfare of their fellow human beings ahead of their own.
And, just to add: NYC temples warning of pro-Palestinian protest interrupting (wait for it? Religious services? No. Graduation ceremonies? Already done) ... THE MET GALA! How in hell do women dressed like abstract paintings and donating $75,000 a person to the museum preserving the world's great art -- figure in to a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israeli protest?
While the President rightly supports the people of Israel, he’s been firm with Netanyahu, but his ministrations have fallen on deaf ears. The same might apply to these demonstrators. The ultimate effect of their actions is to terrify those who disagree with them. Whereas some people might point their fingers at Jews being the counter demonstrators which cause violence I would say that the fine line here is antisemitism. Mainline Jewish students live in constant fear of attacks, verbally and physically. This is unacceptable. The demonstrators while protesting are supporting Hamas. That too is unacceptable and illegal-advised.
In general I agree. But I do wonder, in paragraph 2, who is the "they" of which you speak? All the protestors, all shouting antisemitic slogans? Or maybe some of them, the rabble rousers always attracted to protests? So WHAT if some students--a few only, I am sure--are in favor of terrorism? Is anyone going into a trump rally or JD Vance speech or Fuentes interview and arresting the listeners for being pro authoritarian or even neo-Nazi?
WHY are these protests so disruptive? Several universities have dealt with them peacefully, leading to the packing up of tents after negotiations. The issue behind these protests is divestment of investments supporting Bibi's war efforts--and just having an administration promise to THINK about it is satisfying the protestors. What role does sending the cops in immediately play in the disruption, even the enhanced disruption like the occupation of that building at Columbia (which I don't support). What exactly is disruptive about a bunch of tents? If they were a bunch of tents set up to, say, give students a place to register to vote, would they be disruptive even if the university hadn't given its blessing ahead of time?
Most important, what is the role of the media and conservative fear mongering? Lots of coverage of "outside agitators" that ASSUMES they are "agitating in favor of terrorists?" How do we know they aren't teaching the techniques of peaceful disobedience.
Why should a peaceful protest lead to arrests because counter-protestors are violent? It is even stated that the FEAR of protestors is responsible--not what they are actually doing, but what they "might" do. The same thing is behind the shutting down of graduation ceremonies. I graduated in 1966. There were anti-war protestors even then (it all started in 1965). And we graduated quite peacefully. No heads knocked. Nothing thrown.
I'm not sure that the protests are creating the fear so much as the response is embracing that fear coming from elsewhere. How many people in, say, Iowa feared immigrants before they were told the really should?
Yes, remove and expel those who shout slurs or worse .I haven't actually seen any reports of Jewish students being actually, physically, attacked, but if hate speech is prohibited by campus code, then the university has the right to discipline the speakers. I read of one university, however, who has hastily amended its code of conduct to INCLUDE raising tents. So much for those voter registration folks. And I read (in places like Fox and the NY Post, to be sure) that ONE guy who cosplayed Hamas by dressing up in typical garb meant the whole protest was antisemitic.
We need way better reporting. We need reporters to LISTEN to the spokespeople for the protestors and report what they say--not whine that they can't just ask random students who don't claim to speak for all and should not have to. We need specific instances of antisemitic behavior and what the administrations are doing about those specific instances and whether everyone arrested in a sweep was actually doing anything antisemitic. I suspect the lawyers for the kids arrested are asking those questions--will the media report on the results if they don't fit the narrative?
We live a country subjected to fear of all sorts of things we never thought to fear before trump told us we should. Only actual reporting, not generalizations, will ever get us to understand what is actually fearful and what is fear based on insidious rhetoric. One person on The Bulwark said that he'd listened to a Jewish girl's fear and sympathized but did not say what she actually said. What was it she took to be antisemitic? Another report talked about a Jewish student who said her fear was of chants to "Free Palestine" because she took that to mean "eradicate Israel" That chant does no such thing. How much else of the fear is in the eye of the beholder? Until we know what both the protestors and the person feeling threatened actually SAY we can't really know.
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." Boy is THAT statement true 80 odd years later.
I think there’s a point you are missing and that is the verbal abuse Jewish students have faced at the universities. They’re scared. They see some of their professors supporting the free-Palestine students. But that’s the funny thing…they are not all students and have been, in fact, found to be ‘hired hands” to promote disruption and blame all Jews for the devastation in Gaza. What’s not consistently spoken about is that Hamas raped, killed, burned, and kidnapped girls, women, babies, boys and men. Is that normal? NO! Do most Jews and Israelis like what Netanyahu and his Likud party has done? Absolutely, not!! No one wants him to be in charge. he is the one holding up the ceasefire and getting hostages returned, as we speak. Biden sends weaponry to protect Israelis, not to protect Netanyahu and the crazies like him. If Bibi does not concede to the terms, he must be removed.
I am not missing the point, I am questioning it. How many students have actually encountered antisemitic threats? Is it actual abuse or is it something they have been told is antisemitic when it is actually anti-Bibi? What is antisemitic about "Free Palestine?" Isn't that an exact description of the two-state solution?? The hard facts are 1) that the Israeli government has long interfered with Gaza's economy (a blockade even if not absolute is still a blockade) and 2) this the government is supporting actual taking over Palestinian land in the West Bank. Freeing Palestinians means stopping this.
And what are students actually afraid of? Do they think someone is going to erupt from the tents with scimitars? Some students have been called antisemitic names. But by whom? The protestors are in the tents, not wandering around campus. And what names?
No one is overlooking the Hamas terrorist attack. The thing people are questioning is whether the rape and murder and kidnapping of a thousand people justifies killing over 34,000 people.
Oh yeah, "human shields." And who is proclaiming that this is a good reason? Good old Bibi and the IDF. The Bibi who actually supported Hamas as it was cementing power as an authoritarian pseudo government. The IDF who has admitted that they ignored intelligence that warned of this and were totally unprepared and did nothing to beef up security along the border and had moved forces in fact to protect "settlers" on the West bank.
Where do I get this information? There were some reports early on in the MSM about Bibi's support of Hamas, and some about the IDF's confessions, but I mainly read Haaretz. An Israeli news source.
And how many of the non-students arrested have been proven to be "outside agitators" who want to "blame all Jews?" ANY? Are all non-students who care about the problems in Palestine blaming all Jews? Or are some simply folks who blame Bibi?
We--the public AND the Jewish students--are being absolutely SLATHERED by assumptions and allegations about either the motives of the protestors or the fears of Jewish students. We are being bombarded with inflammatory language--agitators, "be very afraid" from both the administration and some rabbi who wasn't actually on campus. "From the River to the Sea?" Consider this: "The 1977 election manifesto of the right-wing Israeli Likud party said: "Between the sea and the Jordan there will only be Israeli sovereignty." This is NOT either a one-side slogan nor a one-side ambition.
Yes, punish those who actually are hurling antisemitic threats. Just don't assume that is everyone.
We must not let ourselves be played until there is actual evidence of the nature and scope of the danger to Jews in this crisis. The question is really who benefits from all the "chaos" and who benefits from insisting the situation IS chaos? May I suggest Elise Stefanik and her ilk, who have been "outside agitators" even before there were any protests.
I continue to be shocked and angry at the display of sycophancy from Republican members of Congress and other elected officials. Watching Tim Scott's behavior on Meet The Press had me shouting at my television. It's the very definition of putting party above country and none of them deserve to serve in Congress. And I know there are way more of us than there are of them, but inspiring all of us to vote during these difficult times when people are just exhausted over everything that's going on is going to be hard.
These are times that make the 50s sound great.At this point of student unrest, I see herd mentality.Dressed up in Islamic clothing and putting head to ground must somewhat rile trump as he wants only a Christian country. But it might support his aims for now. Many who wish to graduate had their high school graduations upset by the pandemic. Not a happy generation. Not all students either.
A 40 year old man was among the arrested.
I am not supportive of Biden's soft pedaling trump . There is plenty to call him out for without saying he is guilty of it all before convicted in the courts. Even tho the present judge is doing a good job of suppressing trump's mouth, he is letting him off for Barron's graduation, something trump says he and Melania have talked about and looked forward to for years. What a bunch of baloney. With his time spent romping around the country and putting out vile messages, I'll bet weeks go by when he might, just might, pass Barron in a hall. Fani screwed up, Judge Cannon is a laugh, there is nothing we can do about SCOTUS which has shown their inclination by even taking on the ridiculous immunity question.It just seems to all work in trump's favor. What we wouldn't give to see him spend just one night in jail. He says that would be an honor-oh sure! Time for Joe to talk it up, not wait....and wait.....and wait. Then there is Merrick Garland, number one wuss of the administration, so afraid of taking sides, as if there is another one.
Vote we will. Time will tell. Wish upon a few stars.
Criminal behavior has been mostly committed by the police, not the protesters.
The Republican Party is shrinking. This self appointed committee has a MAGA Purity Test. If you aren't sufficiently Trump loyal, you don't get to run for office as a Republican.
https://www.kansascity.com/news/politics-government/article288249290.html#campaignName=kansascity_morning_newsletter
1. Uncertainty benefits Trump and MAGA minions.
2. Forgot polling for a second. Talk with friends and family who are members of the younger generations. I am a baby boomer with family members who are Gen Z and millenials. They will not vote for Trump (just like my baby boomer generation never voted/supported Nixon in 68. However,, their lack of enthusiasm for Biden is evident. Ongoing wars only add to an uncertain future, also resulting in younger generation to focus on daily issues, like rent or other costs of living.
I wonder if Trump, if elected, has in mind take down the Statue of Liberty?
Thank you for this very clear and succinct newsletter today. I just don't understand these protests that hurt Biden, when it is the extreme Republicans who are against the Palestinian state.
I have been associated with UCLA for over 40 years, and my friends there tell me that very few of these "protestors" are students or even in any way part of the school. I know it's just anecdotal evidence of perfidy but these are people that have been there for decades.
And just to add: Is defendant Don not only bad-mouthing the "corrupt" system, but also encouraging (in his threats by implication way) his Jan 6 - like followers to physically attack Judge Merchan? Seems that way. The front of Trump's building on 5th Ave has so many barriers (metal / others) that it looks like a war zone.