Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – Congressional Republicans are more interested in grandstanding than governance, and political persecution rather than functional democracy. The banishment of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from her assignment on the Foreign Affairs Committee by Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) illustrates how Republican candidates and office holders try to outdo each other with […]
Is Israel’s Netanyahu even worse than Trump?
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – The parallel trajectories of far-far right politicians accruing more power in the US and Israel is striking. Elements include similar motivations, policy actors, agenda and attempts to subvert democracy. But the dynamics differ with the roles of the two nations’ judicial systems. Far-far right wingers in Israel feel […]
New Extremist Israeli Government Further Marginalizes Palestinians and risks Alienating 70% World’s Jews
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – A crisis is brewing in the relationship between Israel and the United States, and even between Israel and the American Jewish community. The new Israeli government, the most extreme in the country’s history, is led by Benjamin Netanyahu, on trial for corruption, Itamar Ben-Gvir, of the far-right Jewish […]
Can U.S. Backing for Israel survive its New Extremist, Racist and undemocratic Government?
Oakland, Ca. (Informed Comment) – The election of a far-far right wing Israeli government may challenge the strength of US-Israeli relations as never before. How many human rights violations and imperialist annexations are to be tolerated before the spigot of endless financial support is turned off? The U.S. has made clear to Israel that it […]
Why is the Major Israel Lobby supporting over 100 Antisemitic Racists, Climate Deniers and election Denialists for Congress?
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – AIPAC and Jewish Republicans are a puzzlement. They are financially supporting over 100 racists, climate deniers and election deniers running for Congress, because they express unqualified support for Israel’s occupation, expansionist settlements and denial of Palestinian human rights. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), one of the […]
With his Dangerous Antisemitism and Racist Stereotypes, Ye has made himself a MAGA Patsy
Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment) – Kanye West, who now goes by just “Ye,” has transformed himself from a global rap and fashion icon, into a useful idiot for Donald Trump and the MAGA movement. What he did not realize is that rich, powerful white men like Trump are routinely forgiven their racism by […]
Ken Burns’ Holocaust Documentary should set our Hair on Fire about the Creep of Trumpian Fascism
Oakland (Special to Informed Comment) – The genius of Ken Burns’ documentaries is his ability to personify history. Watching the documentary by Burns, Lynn Novick and Sarah Botstein on the U.S. and the Holocaust is a challenging experience for most people, and is especially difficult for those from Jewish families that include survivors. I learned […]
DeSantis and Abbot are Traffickers in Human Misery, Pranking Asylum-Seekers
Oakland (Special to Informed Comment) – Republican Governors Ron DeSantis of Florida and Greg Abbot of Texas have pulled some repugnant, grandstanding stunts in their efforts to assume the mantle of Donald Trump’s base, and further their vainglorious presidential ambitions. What seems to them as a clever “gotcha’” stunt to embarrass President Joe Biden and […]
Expanding the Occupation of Palestinians in the Name of Jesus
Most people agree that imperialism has been a very bad thing for the world. American Indian leader Dennis Means addressed a capacity crowd at the Rackham Auditorium at the University of Michigan in 1981. When I asked him to compare the plight of American Indians with the Palestinians, Mr. Means said, “Palestinians are the Indians […]