Constitution

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – The arrest of legal permanent U.S. resident Mahmoud Khalil, 29, by Department of Homeland Security agents for thought crimes is a shot across the bow of the American Constitution. All Fascist governments despise free speech, and the Trumpist regime is no exception. Khalil is only a test case. The Trumpists […]

Bill of Rights

For Trumpism “Free Speech” means Neo-Nazi Speech

H. Scott Prosterman

Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Convicted felon Donald Trump is eviscerating the US Constitution in a particularly insidious way. Previously, I have written about Trump’s efforts to hijack the Free Speech Movement, and invert it, thrusting us all down the Republican rabbit hole. This perversion of free speech takes a most precious, […]

Bill of Rights

Are we All Hungarians now, or Palestinians? Trump’s Onslaught on the Rule of Law and Civil Liberties

H. Scott Prosterman

Oakland, Ca. (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Most of (convicted felon) Donald Trump’s Executive Orders are brazenly unconstitutional, and stand to be reversed in Court rulings by thoughtful, law-abiding judges. But the red elephants in the room are the sycophantic, compliant judges he appointed during his last term such as Aileen Cannon of Florida. […]

Bill of Rights

A Democracy of Voices, If we can Keep It: Threats to Free Expression in the Trump Era

Tomdispatch

By Nan Levinson ( Tomdispatch.com ) – I thought I was done with free speech. For nearly two decades, I reported on it for the international magazine Index on Censorship. I wrote a book, Outspoken: Free Speech Stories, about controversies over it. I even sang “I Like to Be in America” at the top of my lungs […]

Constitution

“A Bad” effing “guy!” – Biden cursed out Netanyahu but then let him do as he pleased – Hamlet on the Potomac

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – Joe Biden has many achievements as a domestic president, including the biggest investment ever made in green energy and fighting climate change. Whatever one thinks of how he has handled the Ukraine crisis, he certainly has been decisive and has galvanized allies to act alongside him. But on the Middle […]

Bill of Rights

Protesting U of Texas-Dallas Arrest and Suspension of Faculty and Students Peacefully Protesting against Gaza War

Committee on Academic Freedom

Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association | – Dr. Richard C. Benson President, University of Texas at Dallas president@utdallas.edu . . . We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express our grave concern over your administration’s recent actions with respect […]

Authoritarianism

Trump’s Dangerous ‘State of Exception’: SCOTUS must not Allow Presidential Immunity

Andrew Kolin

Hamburg, NY (Special to Informed Comment; Feature) – Carl Schmitt wrote in Political Theology (1922) “sovereign is he who decides on the state of the exception.” What Schmitt meant in using the word “exception” is that in a specific historical timeframe a sovereign can suspend law in the context of a declared state of emergency. […]

Bill of Rights

In Fit of anti-Palestinian Hatred, Congress tries to Outlaw “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be Free”

Juan Cole

Ann Arbor (Informed Comment) – On Wednesday the House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning the chanting of the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” Since Congress, which appears to have a disproportionate number of genocidal maniacs in its ranks, is all right with the Palestinians being subjected to mass […]

Anti-intellectualism

Condemning Vanderbilt University’s Suspension of Students Engaged in Peaceful Protest against Gaza Campaign

Committee on Academic Freedom

Committee on Academic Freedom | Middle East Studies Association | – Daniel Diermeier Chancellor, Vanderbilt University daniel.diermeier@vanderbilt.edu C. Cybele Raver Provost, Vanderbilt University cybele.raver@vanderbilt.edu Dear Chancellor Diermeier and Provost Raver: We write on behalf of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA) and its Committee on Academic Freedom to express […]