just so, clif! all of chris hedges' publications are must-read contributions to our broader, deeper understanding of the political, religious, military, fascist, and societal zeitgeists that have evolved [devolved?] since WWII.
Hello kindred followers of Clif being on the front lines, there’s something each of us can do on another front… I just received a legislative alert from Congress.gov notifying me that H.R. 1007, the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2025, has one new cosponsor – aka, sellout – bringing the total to 79. The bill’s sponsor is Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), whose top contributor for the 2023-24 period was AIPAC, to the tune of $392,669.
The AIPAC-pushed bill seeks to use “the definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for the enforcement of Federal anti-discrimination laws concerning education programs or activities, and for other purposes.” In other words, to give some half-a**ed legal excuse to pick up more Mahmoud Khalils and others who so much as pass gas within a quarter-mile of the word “Israel” being uttered.
Legal experts, knowledgeable academicians, and Holocaust scholars alike have denounced the IHRA definition of antisemitism as vague to the point of being unusable; deceptively conflates anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel, both political matters, with antisemitism directed at the religion of Judaism; and stifles freedom of speech and academic freedom of inquiry and discussion. Even the main drafter of the definition, Kenneth Stern, objects “to its use as disciplinary tool by governments or public bodies” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9092927/.
Of course none of this matters to AIPAC, nor is it likely to stand up against AIPAC dollars, arm- twisting, intimidation, and overall ruthlessness to get this passed, although there is some hope of putting an end to this nonsense by writing your representative in Congress.
Good to hear of the positive encounters you have received. A few comments…
1) I was more than pleasantly surprised at Mandani’s win in the NYC Democratic Party primary. Dare we hope? I thoroughly expect, however, that sometime over the coming weeks a “breaking news” item "will interrupt regular programming which will include a line similar to Captain Renault’s in “Casablanca”: “We haven't quite decided yet whether he committed suicide or died trying to escape.”
2) “… the entitled, arrogant and belligerent state that represents the antithesis of what the US once stood for, liberty and justice for all… “
I am being a bit of a smart ass here, for while the overall point is well taken, that comment applies as much to the United States itself as it does to Zioland. The history of American foreign policy and intervention – with the exception of the Marshall Plan – has been one of exploitation, rep ression, coercion, extortion of other peoples to protect and satiate its own greed. That being said, somewhat ironically, “liberty and justice for all” does play somewhat better domestically – except, for example, the history of Black Americans – than does our international record, and it does have aspirational value, that counts for something, though not enough.
As Noam Chomsky has said, “It’s official: The U.S. is the world’s leading terrorist state, and proud of it” …
... and Martin Luther King, Jr., “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world: my own government. I can not be silent.”
3) As to the irrefutably correct statement that “Jewish Americans are as welcome to hold political office as any other Americans, but Zionism is a refutation of the very founding principle of the United States and has no place in American politics at any level,” I think it was at Bracingviews.com’s entry “I’ll Slug You, and If You Resist, I’ll Slug You Harder” where I dissected the Zionists’ cynical, deceptive self-proclaimed identity as being Jews to the reality of their being, in actuality, “Jew-ish.”
again, my unfailing, unalloyed, unbridled gratitude for your integrity, perseverance, witness, commitment, and good-ness, clif, on behalf of all those palestinians who can no longer speak truth-to-power in gaza and the west bank. i too am an anti-theist, but when addressing or conversing w/ theists, particularly those of the evangelical or judaeo crwth, i demur w/: "no, i am not a xian like you; i'm an eclectic buddhistic nullifidian." if they ask for clarity, i reply politely and humbly, "my god is that word w/ a doubling of the 'o' that lies inside us all. some of that 'good'ness is buried more cryptically or is more abstrusely recondite than inside others' cortical machinery, but there, nonetheless." this declarative helps to induce concinnity and reduce potential acrimony. you are an admirable fellow, clif; my family applauds you.
Thanks as always Jeanie. Speaking of religion, I am reading Chris Hedges' book, "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America". Hedges mentions something written by Karl Popper many years ago, that in an open society there can be no tolerance for intolerance. I immediately thought of the supine Democratic Party that has stood by while the Republicans have marched to power on intolerance.
The only problem with the book is in having been published in 2006, 19 years being an eternity in our modern world. The internet is invaluable in allowing me to check to see if this or that group of nuts still exists.
I just read that Bill Ackman is pledging half a billion dollars for a pro-Israel candidate to run against Mandani in NYC. That is good news because it makes clear to all how Zionism pays for campaigns and, let's hope, that money will mean a real risk of losing instead of a guarantee of a win.
just so, clif! all of chris hedges' publications are must-read contributions to our broader, deeper understanding of the political, religious, military, fascist, and societal zeitgeists that have evolved [devolved?] since WWII.
Hello kindred followers of Clif being on the front lines, there’s something each of us can do on another front… I just received a legislative alert from Congress.gov notifying me that H.R. 1007, the Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2025, has one new cosponsor – aka, sellout – bringing the total to 79. The bill’s sponsor is Rep. Mike Lawler (R-NY), whose top contributor for the 2023-24 period was AIPAC, to the tune of $392,669.
The AIPAC-pushed bill seeks to use “the definition of antisemitism set forth by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance for the enforcement of Federal anti-discrimination laws concerning education programs or activities, and for other purposes.” In other words, to give some half-a**ed legal excuse to pick up more Mahmoud Khalils and others who so much as pass gas within a quarter-mile of the word “Israel” being uttered.
Legal experts, knowledgeable academicians, and Holocaust scholars alike have denounced the IHRA definition of antisemitism as vague to the point of being unusable; deceptively conflates anti-Zionism and criticism of Israel, both political matters, with antisemitism directed at the religion of Judaism; and stifles freedom of speech and academic freedom of inquiry and discussion. Even the main drafter of the definition, Kenneth Stern, objects “to its use as disciplinary tool by governments or public bodies” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9092927/.
Of course none of this matters to AIPAC, nor is it likely to stand up against AIPAC dollars, arm- twisting, intimidation, and overall ruthlessness to get this passed, although there is some hope of putting an end to this nonsense by writing your representative in Congress.
Good to hear of the positive encounters you have received. A few comments…
1) I was more than pleasantly surprised at Mandani’s win in the NYC Democratic Party primary. Dare we hope? I thoroughly expect, however, that sometime over the coming weeks a “breaking news” item "will interrupt regular programming which will include a line similar to Captain Renault’s in “Casablanca”: “We haven't quite decided yet whether he committed suicide or died trying to escape.”
2) “… the entitled, arrogant and belligerent state that represents the antithesis of what the US once stood for, liberty and justice for all… “
I am being a bit of a smart ass here, for while the overall point is well taken, that comment applies as much to the United States itself as it does to Zioland. The history of American foreign policy and intervention – with the exception of the Marshall Plan – has been one of exploitation, rep ression, coercion, extortion of other peoples to protect and satiate its own greed. That being said, somewhat ironically, “liberty and justice for all” does play somewhat better domestically – except, for example, the history of Black Americans – than does our international record, and it does have aspirational value, that counts for something, though not enough.
As Noam Chomsky has said, “It’s official: The U.S. is the world’s leading terrorist state, and proud of it” …
... and Martin Luther King, Jr., “The greatest purveyor of violence in the world: my own government. I can not be silent.”
3) As to the irrefutably correct statement that “Jewish Americans are as welcome to hold political office as any other Americans, but Zionism is a refutation of the very founding principle of the United States and has no place in American politics at any level,” I think it was at Bracingviews.com’s entry “I’ll Slug You, and If You Resist, I’ll Slug You Harder” where I dissected the Zionists’ cynical, deceptive self-proclaimed identity as being Jews to the reality of their being, in actuality, “Jew-ish.”
again, my unfailing, unalloyed, unbridled gratitude for your integrity, perseverance, witness, commitment, and good-ness, clif, on behalf of all those palestinians who can no longer speak truth-to-power in gaza and the west bank. i too am an anti-theist, but when addressing or conversing w/ theists, particularly those of the evangelical or judaeo crwth, i demur w/: "no, i am not a xian like you; i'm an eclectic buddhistic nullifidian." if they ask for clarity, i reply politely and humbly, "my god is that word w/ a doubling of the 'o' that lies inside us all. some of that 'good'ness is buried more cryptically or is more abstrusely recondite than inside others' cortical machinery, but there, nonetheless." this declarative helps to induce concinnity and reduce potential acrimony. you are an admirable fellow, clif; my family applauds you.
Thanks as always Jeanie. Speaking of religion, I am reading Chris Hedges' book, "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America". Hedges mentions something written by Karl Popper many years ago, that in an open society there can be no tolerance for intolerance. I immediately thought of the supine Democratic Party that has stood by while the Republicans have marched to power on intolerance.
The only problem with the book is in having been published in 2006, 19 years being an eternity in our modern world. The internet is invaluable in allowing me to check to see if this or that group of nuts still exists.
I just read that Bill Ackman is pledging half a billion dollars for a pro-Israel candidate to run against Mandani in NYC. That is good news because it makes clear to all how Zionism pays for campaigns and, let's hope, that money will mean a real risk of losing instead of a guarantee of a win.
"i am not a xian like you; i'm an eclectic buddhistic nullifidian." and "more abstrusely recondite" and "this declarative helps to induce concinnity"
Back I delightfully go to the booktionary!