Trump administration cancels $400 million in grants for Columbia University

[opinterph]

The Columbia situation escalated over time. If you read and listen to the interviews, ...

Wiki provides a reasonably concise timeline of events surrounding the 2024 Columbia University pro-Palestinian campus occupations. Other news outlets include reports from inside the campus and numerous interviews with participants and spectators.

[The Columbia situation] escalated with specific threats to specific students, but many of those threats were online, not on the campus

And many were on campus.

There were students doing a camp-out on the lawn but there were also pro-Palestinian activists who were in the public areas outside campus that were agitating.

The "camp-out on the lawn" consisted of dozens of tents and was named the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" by the students who established it. It was dismantled by New York City Police early on, but reappeared the next day. It eventually expanded to include seizure and occupation of Hamilton Hall. The second encampment was dismantled when the university regained control of the campus at the end of April. A third encampment appeared briefly a few weeks later.

It is notable that various members of Congress visited the area of the encampment (inside the campus) during the period of occupation and protest, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, Speaker Mike Johnson and others. Those visits were characterized by students and other observers as disruptions to gain political leverage and an effort to exert control and ideological influence.

It is never acceptable to be threatened on campus, never acceptable to be called out by name or singled out. However, that's not what happened.

Your notation of what didn't happen appears to relate to the sentence it follows in the paragraph. Perhaps you intended it to relate to the initial remark instead?

Since the election, [the issue has] become an excuse to punish universities that the right believes are "too liberal" or who have pro-Palestinian faculty.

For the sake of clarity and to avoid confusion, please distinguish what you consider to be "the issue" by providing its name or a short explanation.

 

[opinterph]

Columbia is already taking action.

Please explain what new action Columbia University is taking to improve safety for Jewish students in response to the Initial Cancelation of Grants and Contracts to Columbia University Worth $400 Million on March 7th.

@ravenstone

You've posted an affirmative statement. It's reasonable to expect you to provide evidence to back it up.

 

[ravenstone]

@ravenstone

You've posted an affirmative statement. It's reasonable to expect you to provide evidence to back it up.

Facing Trump's threats, Columbia investigates students critical of Israel

A new disciplinary committee is raising alarm among students, faculty and free speech advocates, who accuse the school of bowing to President Trump’s threats to slash funding to universities and deport campus “agitators.”

apnews.com

 

[KaraBulut]

The "camp-out on the lawn" consisted of dozens of tents and was named the "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" by the students who established it. It was dismantled by New York City Police early on, but reappeared the next day. It eventually expanded to include seizure and occupation of Hamilton Hall. The second encampment was dismantled when the university regained control of the campus at the end of April. A third encampment appeared briefly a few weeks later.

I'm not sure what their intent was but it seemed to have been modeled on a "Occupy Wall Street" type protest, where there's a 24x7 protest encampment.

I'm not a fan of this type of "protest" because invariably, people traversing through these areas get fed up with the protesters and either tune them out or tag them as being a public nuisance.

It is notable that various members of Congress visited the area of the encampment (inside the campus) during the period of occupation and protest, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Jamaal Bowman, Ilhan Omar, Speaker Mike Johnson and others. Those visits were characterized by students and other observers as disruptions to gain political leverage and an effort to exert control and ideological influence.

Visiting protests and holding Congressional hearings are different things. I would agree with the students about the intent of the visits- on both sides of the aisle. However, AOC, Bowman and Omar didn't haul administrators in front of Congress to create a photo-op or to pressure administrators to resign because they weren't cracking down on speech that the Congress (or the wealthy donors they were courting) did not like.

The Jewish students had legitimate complaints. However, they just seem like Paula Jones. They were used for a purpose and when they were no longer used, they were abandoned and forgotten.

Your notation of what didn't happen appears to relate to the sentence it follows in the paragraph. Perhaps you intended it to relate to the initial remark instead?

My point is that Jewish students didn't take their complaints to university administrators or the campus police. They took them to television cameras in a well-orchestrated media campaign that Republicans exploited for their own purposes. The pro-Palestinian protesters were not as media savvy and they didn't have wealthy media-savvy organizations like ADL coaching and helping them.

There's a famous video of Hillary meeting with BLM representatives during the 2016 election. Hillary talked about her experience in the anti-war protests in the 1970s. Her point was that endless protests aren't enough. Protesters should develop a clear agenda and come forward with demands that they want. The same problem existed with the Gaza campus protests. Protester were living in tents, why? What was their agenda? What were their demands?

Contrast this Apartheid protests in the 1980s over South Africa.

How students helped end apartheid

A small gesture of solidarity by students led to a national movement with far-reaching impact.

www.universityofcalifornia.edu

In December of 1984, a handful of UC Berkeley students walked off campus and down to the administrative offices for the whole University of California system, determined to secure a meeting with the chancellor and president.

Their demand? That the University of California pull out billions of dollars in investments in companies doing business with the government of South Africa.

The Gaza protesters had the moral high ground. No one who saw the videos of Gaza would say that killing women and children was acceptable collateral damage in an effort to "root out terrorists". But the Gaza protesters lost the media war because of their disorganization, their lack of a strategy and because they didn't have billionaires and well-funded media organizations getting them on cable news programs daily... at least on cable news programs before Tuesday, 5-Nov-2024.

For the sake of clarity and to avoid confusion, please distinguish what you consider to be "the issue" by providing its name or a short explanation.

Everything the Trump Administration is doing seems to have one of two motives:

1. pay-to-play politics where Trump exchanged support from certain people and certain groups for promised actions
2. Trump's personal vendetta to "prosecute the prosecuters" which covers up his crimes, creates the "deep state" narrative and tries to rewrite history

We should view everything in Trump's Executive Orders with that in mind.

My premise is that this $400 million targeting of Columbia is an example of #1. Trump doesn't care about a bunch of Jewish students. This is likely just a payback for campaign donations or some promise he made to a wealthy donor.

It is also eerily like what I've seen in other autocracies where the autocrat creates an issue to punish his perceived enemies. Academics are punished for their opposition to the autocrat- either by losing their jobs, being rounded up and sent to prisons or both.

 

[ravenstone]

I'm not sure what their intent was but it seemed to have been modeled on a "Occupy Wall Street" type protest, where there's a 24x7 protest encampment.

I'm not a fan of this type of "protest" because invariably, people traversing through these areas get fed up with the protesters and either tune them out or tag them as being a public nuisance.


Visiting protests and holding Congressional hearings are different things. I would agree with the students about the intent of the visits- on both sides of the aisle. However, AOC, Bowman and Omar didn't haul administrators in front of Congress to create a photo-op or to pressure administrators to resign because they weren't cracking down on speech that the Congress (or the wealthy donors they were courting) did not like.

The Jewish students had legitimate complaints. However, they just seem like Paula Jones. They were used for a purpose and when they were no longer used, they were abandoned and forgotten.


My point is that Jewish students didn't take their complaints to university administrators or the campus police. They took them to television cameras in a well-orchestrated media campaign that Republicans exploited for their own purposes. The pro-Palestinian protesters were not as media savvy and they didn't have wealthy media-savvy organizations like ADL coaching and helping them.

There's a famous video of Hillary meeting with BLM representatives during the 2016 election. Hillary talked about her experience in the anti-war protests in the 1970s. Her point was that endless protests aren't enough. Protesters should develop a clear agenda and come forward with demands that they want. The same problem existed with the Gaza campus protests. Protester were living in tents, why? What was their agenda? What were their demands?

Contrast this Apartheid protests in the 1980s over South Africa.

How students helped end apartheid

A small gesture of solidarity by students led to a national movement with far-reaching impact.

www.universityofcalifornia.edu

The Gaza protesters had the moral high ground. No one who saw the videos of Gaza would say that killing women and children was acceptable collateral damage in an effort to "root out terrorists". But the Gaza protesters lost the media war because of their disorganization, their lack of a strategy and because they didn't have billionaires and well-funded media organizations getting them on cable news programs daily... at least on cable news programs before Tuesday, 5-Nov-2024.



Everything the Trump Administration is doing seems to have one of two motives:

1. pay-to-play politics where Trump exchanged support from certain people and certain groups for promised actions
2. Trump's personal vendetta to "prosecute the prosecuters" which covers up his crimes, creates the "deep state" narrative and tries to rewrite history

We should view everything in Trump's Executive Orders with that in mind.

My premise is that this $400 million targeting of Columbia is an example of #1. Trump doesn't care about a bunch of Jewish students. This is likely just a payback for campaign donations or some promise he made to a wealthy donor.

It is also eerily like what I've seen in other autocracies where the autocrat creates an issue to punish his perceived enemies. Academics are punished for their opposition to the autocrat- either by losing their jobs, being rounded up and sent to prisons or both.

The US is finally going to start protecting Jewish students. 60 colleges are being investigated at this time for the same thing.

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Sends Letters to 60 Universities Under Investigation for Antisemitic Discrimination and Harassment

The Office for Civil Rights today sent letters to 60 institutions of higher education warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus.

www.ed.gov

This behaviour should have been stopped by Biden when it first started.

 

[rareboy]

The irony of the Trump administration using the Civil Rights Act is lost on no one.

This is about the Executive Branch taking control of colleges and universities.

And mark my words. It is a cash grab first and foremost in order to fund tax cuts.

 

[rareboy]

Facing Trump's threats, Columbia investigates students critical of Israel

A new disciplinary committee is raising alarm among students, faculty and free speech advocates, who accuse the school of bowing to President Trump’s threats to slash funding to universities and deport campus “agitators.”

apnews.com

So where is the White House announcing that it intends to restore the grants and what are the metrics that they will be using?

I doubt if we'll ever hear a word about this.

Also, as a friend of mine pointed out...great way for the Administration to paint an even bigger target on the backs of Jewish students by having everyone now
seeing them (however unfairly) as being responsible for the major loss of funding to Columbia.

It is almost like Trump is looking to provoke civil disorder that will become a pretext for emergency measures act on campuses across the US.

 

[ravenstone]

So where is the White House announcing that it intends to restore the grants and what are the metrics that they will be using?

When they stop the pro-Hamas protestors and Jewish students are as safe as any other group of students.

I doubt if we'll ever hear a word about this.

This will be all over the news as Americans will be happy having civil rights for all Americans,

Also, as a friend of mine pointed out...great way for the Administration to paint an even bigger target on the backs of Jewish students by having everyone now
seeing them (however unfairly) as being responsible for the major loss of funding to Columbia.

Leftists don't need any encouragement to harass Jewish students.

It is almost like Trump is looking to provoke civil disorder that will become a pretext for emergency measures act on campuses across the US.

I doubt that as that is up to the Democrats. Trump will not allow the crap that Biden did that is true.

 

[KaraBulut]

The US is finally going to start protecting Jewish students. 60 colleges are being investigated at this time for the same thing.

U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Sends Letters to 60 Universities Under Investigation for Antisemitic Discrimination and Harassment

The Office for Civil Rights today sent letters to 60 institutions of higher education warning them of potential enforcement actions if they do not fulfill their obligations under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act to protect Jewish students on campus.

www.ed.gov

This behaviour should have been stopped by Biden when it first started.

Ah, so you're in favor of Presidents determining what is "protected speech".

I suppose the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law...", so we'll just let each President figure out which speech he likes and suppress the speech he doesn't like?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Well, I have bad news! The Trump Administration doesn't agree with you on that... allegedly.

Restoring Freedom Of Speech And Ending Federal Censorship

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and section 301 of title 3, United

www.whitehouse.gov

Section 1. Purpose. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution, an amendment essential to the success of our Republic, enshrines the right of the American people to speak freely in the public square without Government interference. Over the last 4 years, the previous administration trampled free speech rights by censoring Americans’ speech on online platforms, often by exerting substantial coercive pressure on third parties, such as social media companies, to moderate, deplatform, or otherwise suppress speech that the Federal Government did not approve. Under the guise of combatting “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation,” the Federal Government infringed on the constitutionally protected speech rights of American citizens across the United States in a manner that advanced the Government’s preferred narrative about significant matters of public debate. Government censorship of speech is intolerable in a free society.

 

[KaraBulut]

The irony of the Trump administration using the Civil Rights Act is lost on no one.

This is about the Executive Branch taking control of colleges and universities.

And mark my words. It is a cash grab first and foremost in order to fund tax cuts.

I think his friend Mr. Orbán made a suggestion. Erdoğan did the same thing, only he also added a new bunch of Arab-funded Islamic-focused schools at the same time.

Hungary Continues Attacks on Academic Freedom

In its latest attack on academic freedom and free expression, the Hungarian government has placed control of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest into the hands of Prime Minister Orban loyalists.

www.hrw.org

These autocratic and illiberal moves have become trademarks of the Orban government, which has spent the last decade dismantling rule of law, curbing free press, and exerting control over academia and sciences in an effort to root out teaching or scientific research that counter the conservative government’s agenda. Examples include shutting down the Central European University, banning gender studies, and stripping the Academy of Sciences of its autonomy.

 

[ravenstone]

I think his friend Mr. Orbán made a suggestion. Erdoğan did the same thing, only he also added a new bunch of Arab-funded Islamic-focused schools at the same time.

Hungary Continues Attacks on Academic Freedom

In its latest attack on academic freedom and free expression, the Hungarian government has placed control of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest into the hands of Prime Minister Orban loyalists.

www.hrw.org

Ah, so you're in favor of Presidents determining what is "protected speech".

I suppose the First Amendment says, "Congress shall make no law...", so we'll just let each President figure out which speech he likes and suppress the speech he doesn't like?



Well, I have bad news! The Trump Administration doesn't agree with you on that... allegedly.

Restoring Freedom Of Speech And Ending Federal Censorship

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, and section 301 of title 3, United

www.whitehouse.gov

Students can protest all they want to, but they are not allowed to harass students because that is a violation of their civil rights. Jewish students are not IDF soldiers. There are also laws about supporting terrorist organizations. I assure you if other minority students were harassed by the terrorist group the KKK these colleges wouldn't stand for it for one minute. Jews should be treated no differently than any other minority.

 

[KaraBulut]

Students can protest all they want to, but they are not allowed to harass students because that is a violation of their civil rights. Jewish students are not IDF soldiers. There are also laws about supporting terrorist organizations. I assure you if other minority students were harassed by the terrorist group the KKK these colleges wouldn't stand for it for one minute. Jews should be treated no differently than any other minority.

No argument about that.

My point is that those protesting have rights, too. In fact, their rights are enumerated in the very first amendment to the Constitution which should indicate to us how important free speech, the right to protest and petition government was to the Framers.

 

[opinterph]

Looks like [Jewish students] are safer already because Columbia is already taking action.

Please explain what new action Columbia University is taking to improve safety for Jewish students in response to the Initial Cancelation of Grants and Contracts to Columbia University Worth $400 Million on March 7th.

Facing Trump's threats, Columbia investigates students critical of Israel

A new disciplinary committee is raising alarm among students, faculty and free speech advocates, who accuse the school of bowing to President Trump’s threats to slash funding to universities and deport campus “agitators.”

apnews.com

Thanks for offering evidence to substantiate your statement that Columbia University is taking new action to improve safety for Jewish students in response to the Initial Cancelation of Grants and Contracts to Columbia University Worth $400 Million on March 7th.

Unfortunately the link you provided to an Associated Press article by Jake Offenhartz published last week does not substantiate the statement you posted. To the extent that presidential accolades accrue in accordance with this action taken by Columbia University (an action that you have applauded that will make Jewish students at that university safer), the corresponding praise lands squarely within the legacy of the Biden Administration.

(From linked article)

The new disciplinary committee was created last summer to “fairly and expeditiously” address cases of discrimination, with the first notices going out in late November.

... Under the office’s policies, students are required to sign a nondisclosure agreement before accessing case materials or speaking with investigators, ensuring the process has remained shrouded in secrecy since it began late last year.

 

[opinterph]

So where is the White House announcing that it intends to restore the grants and what are the metrics that they will be using?

When they stop the pro-Hamas protestors and Jewish students are as safe as any other group of students.

Please provide evidence to support the veracity of your insinuation that the protestors at Columbia University are pro-Hamas. It will be helpful for me to better understanding your basis for posting that statement.

 

[opinterph]

[The incoming administration has not] had time to have hearings, to gather public comments, and proceed, as should be done before contravening awarded grants from federal funds.

... on April 30, 2024, Speaker Mike Johnson announced a unified U.S. House of Representatives initiative to confront this crisis head-on. This effort, spanning multiple committees, reflects an unwavering dedication to combating antisemitism and ensuring the safety and dignity of Jewish Americans. The initiative has been spearheaded by the Committees on Education and the Workforce, Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, Oversight and Accountability, Veterans Affairs, and Ways and Means. Together, these committees have undertaken investigations into federal funding, federal departments and agencies, foreign student visa programs, and tax benefits granted to nonprofit organizations and universities, all to address the troubling rise of hate and extremism.

U.S. House of Representatives Staff Report on Antisemitism
December 18, 2024

 

[opinterph]

What proof can you offer [that] any investigation has proven that Columbia didn't [keep Jewish students safe]?

Columbia stands out for its egregious failure to combat antisemitism on its campus, despite its president acknowledging that the University was in violation of its Title VI obligations. On April 29, 2024, Columbia’s then-President Minouche Shafik publicly stated that an encampment established on April 17, and related incidents “create[ed] a hostile environment in violation of Title VI, especially around our gates, that is unsafe for everyone.” This statement came after an April 21, Committee letter to the University documenting numerous disturbing incidents at and around the encampment, and warning that Columbia was in “major breach” of its Title VI obligations. Yet, Columbia’s leadership failed to restore order to the campus until May 1, after a group of students and others criminally took over a campus building, Hamilton Hall.

These were not isolated incidents. Rather, they were part of an extensive pattern of Columbia’s failures to enforce University rules to address antisemitic conduct. In a disturbing August 2024 report, Columbia’s presidentially appointed Task Force on Antisemitism detailed an atmosphere of pervasive civil rights violations at the University. The Task Force wrote,“[Jewish students] consider the University bound by duty and by law to ensure students are able to learn and live in a neutral environment in which discrimination is not tolerated, without fear for their safety” but “[w]hat we heard makes clear that hundreds of Jewish and Israeli students did not have this experience at Columbia University in the academic year 2023-2024.” The Task Force found Israeli students were frequently targeted on the basis of their national origin in violation of federal antidiscrimination law, explaining that “hatred toward Israelis has reached alarming levels on campus” and that “Israeli students found the pervasive hostility made it difficult to access necessary services, such as healthcare.” The Task Force also found “[v]isibly observant [Jewish] students, like ones who wear traditional head coverings, have been frequently met with extreme hostility.”

U.S. House of Representatives Staff Report on Antisemitism
December 18, 2024

 

[opinterph]

The OP has not explained how removing 400 million dollars in grants will make the Jewish students...or any students for that matter, safer.

It appears that removing the grant funding is intended as an effort to comply with corresponding federal law.

Title VI prohibits recipients of federal funds (“recipients”) from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Approximately 5,600 colleges and universities receive federal funds, including in the form of student aid under Title IV of the Higher Education Act, and therefore are subject to Title VI. Since 2004, the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (“OCR”) has repeatedly affirmed that discrimination against religious groups is prohibited by Title VI when it is based on an individual’s actual or perceived shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics, or on an individual’s citizenship or residency in a country with a dominant religion or distinct religious identity.

Recipients may be found in violation of Title VI under disparate treatment claims (when a recipient treats students differently based on race, color, or national origin) and under hostile environment claims. The Department of Education’s OCR defines a hostile environment as “unwelcome conduct based on race, color, or national origin that, based on the totality of circumstances, is subjectively and objectively offensive and is so severe or pervasive that it limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from a school’s education program or activity.”

U.S. House of Representatives Staff Report on Antisemitism
December 18, 2024

 

[opinterph]

Protesters should develop a clear agenda and come forward with demands that they want. The same problem existed with the Gaza campus protests. Protester were living in tents, why? What was their agenda? What were their demands?

It appears that the prevailing demand was a cease-fire in Gaza, because the counterattacks by Israel were reaching disproportionate and inhumane levels. In addition, they demanded that their respective schools divest from companies linked to Israel's military campaign and occupation. They also called for "Palestinian liberation" and an end to Israeli occupation. Some groups called for an end to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, noting that they are a violation of international law. There may be other demands associated with the various campus protests, for example Students for Justice in Palestine at Rutgers-New Brunswick (SJP Rutgers-NB) were also calling for their university to end their partnership with Tel Aviv University in Israel.

 

[KaraBulut]

It appears that the prevailing demand was a cease-fire in Gaza, because the counterattacks by Israel were reaching disproportionate and inhumane levels. In addition, they demanded that their respective schools divest from companies linked to Israel's military campaign and occupation. They also called for "Palestinian liberation" and an end to Israeli occupation. Some groups called for an end to Israeli settlements in the West Bank, noting that they are a violation of international law. There may be other demands associated with the various campus protests, for example Students for Justice in Palestine at Rutgers-New Brunswick (SJP Rutgers-NB) were also calling for their university to end their partnership with Tel Aviv University in Israel.

That "it appears" is exactly the problem. The student protests that I remember over South Africa put their demands front and center. Even the more recent protests over removal of Confederate statues- it was clear what the demands were.

It might have been the hopelessness of the Gaza cause but it was never clear how a bunch of kids living in tents was going to accomplish anything but they also didn't do a very good job of putting their demands up front.

The punishment of Columbia is a convenient ruse to punish universities that aren't toeing the MAGA line- it is something out that authoritarians do to silence dissent. But parallel to this is a confluence of America appearing to be punishing protesters trying call attention to the events in Gaza, even if ineffectively. And a government using anti-Semitism as an excuse to silence speech and end open debate is exactly what the First Amendment says that government should never do.

The US claimed moral high ground when Russia and Syria created atrocities in the Syrian Civil War. How can we claim moral high ground after the US supplied the bombs used to level Gaza?

The rhetoric from Mike Johnson this week is the result of that muddled message from the pro-Palestinian protesters. The statement from the Speaker of the House was the kind of propaganda that we used to hear from backbenchers and extremists in Congress:

We are a country built around free speech. We are a country that debates issues. We were a country that used to decry human rights abuse and mass slaughter, however in this case, the bombs used to murder women and children literally had "made in USA" written all over them.

Instead the Republicans are working very hard to make the protesters seem like they are the problem. The US created MK-84 bombs to use on uninhabited areas during the Vietnam war. We sat silent while Israel used those bombs on heavily populated areas in Gaza to kill civilians as collateral damage in a war they claimed was targeting Hamas. Those bombs hit schools and hospitals, something that the US railed against Syria for doing just a few years earlier.

A Brief History of the 2,000-Pound Bombs Central to U.S.-Israeli Tensions (Published 2024)

The one-ton Mark 84 bomb was designed shortly after World War II. Adding guidance kits has kept it in use for more than 70 years.

www.nytimes.com

What is an MK-84 heavy bomb? 900 kg munition from US reaches Israeli shores; taken to airbases on trucks

Former US President Biden had put on hold the shipment of MK-84 bombs to Israel over concerns that Israel could invade Rafah

www.theweek.in

Three weeks after US President Donald Trump lifted the pause on the supply of 2000-pound bombs to Israel, Tel Aviv on Sunday announced that heavy bombs from the US had reached its shores. The Biden administration had imposed a hold on the supply of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel over concerns that they could impact the civilian population in Gaza.

However, the shipment of heavy bombs from the US arrived in Israel's Ashdod Port. Ships carrying the MK-84 2,000-lb munitions reached the country after which they were transported in huge trucks to the military airbases...

These bombs were responsible for some of the worst attacks on civilians in Gaza and over 90 per cent of the munitions dropped in Gaza during the first two weeks were satellite-guided bombs of 1,000 to 2,000 pounds.

The American press doesn't show the pictures that are published in newspapers and social media in the middle east. There are hundreds of pictures of unexploded US-made bombs in Gaza with children around them. There are pictures of dead Gazan children in schools that were bombed by the IDF. Those pictures will have a long-lasting affect.

I've said over and over that people in the middle east have long memories and they seek revenge across generations, across centuries and across millennia. Having these atrocities perpetrated by American-made bombs that were sold to Israel, while our government officials are threatening pro-Palestinian (note: not pro-Hamas) protesters is going to create a new generation of anti-American terrorists.

 

[NotHardUp1]

I never thought I would say this, but the deaths in Beirut, the deaths on 9/11, were not enough Americans dying for our meddling in the Levant.

We need an Intifada on our own soil, with American's dying for the state's support of the oppressive regimes in Israel, in Saudi Arabia, in the Philippines, and elsewhere.

America needs to suffer ongoing pain and death until the cheering for oppressors on distantt shores is no longer treated like some football game with "our team" and their team.

We need an ongoing war of terrorists, like the Irish did the English, until our pain makes us consider the pain and death of the Palestinians, the suppression of dissent by the Saudis, and the totalitarian purges of the regime in Manila.

As Zelenskyy correctly observed in his broken English in the Oval Office, we are insulated. And our cults of personality are able to gather followers who have no idea what the foreign regimes are doing or the other half of the conflicts.

If we bleed enough, we might, MIGHT care more about the humans 3,000 miles away as much as we do cheap eggs.