Friday, April 19, 2024
Republicans Attack Columbia University - and Win
Republicans Attack Columbia University – and win
Anti-woke Republicans attacked Columbia University. It capitulated | Alisa Solomon, Marianne Hirsch, Sarah Haley and Helen Benedict
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/apr/18/columbia-university-congress-antisemitism-republicans-gaza?CMP=share_btn_url
From the Guardian – Opinion
It’s hard to believe that the hearings genuinely seek to protect Jewish students when its grandstanding inquisitors include Representative Elise Stefanik, a Republican from New York who has trafficked in white nationalist conspiracy theories’ Photograph: José Luis Magaña/AP
In a congressional hearing, Republicans used specious charges of rampant antisemitism to advance an illiberal agenda on campuses
As Jewish faculty at Columbia University, we watched with alarm as our president, Minouche Shafik, appeared before the House education and workforce committee on Wednesday to answer questions about antisemitism on our campus. While we are deeply concerned about antisemitism, we are also disturbed by the ways the hearing – like those in December, and surely those to follow – used specious charges of rampant antisemitism to advance an illiberal agenda.
Read more
Link on our blog;
https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/republicans-attack-columbia-university-and-win
Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Monday, April 15, 2024
Biden’s Gaza Policy Could Create a Replay of Chicago ’68
Friday, April 12, 2024
antiracismdsa: On Immigration
Wednesday, April 10, 2024
Happy Birthday Dolores
Happy Birthday Dolores
Dolores Huerta turns 94 today, April 10th! Throughout her remarkable life, she led boycotts alongside Cesar Chavez that changed the landscape of labor rights and inspired generations to fight for a more equitable world.
But Dolores' work doesn't stop here. The Dolores Huerta Foundation (DHF) carries her torch, building upon her legacy by empowering marginalized communities through grassroots organizing, education, and civic engagement.
Today, as we celebrate Dolores' birthday, we invite you to join us in securing the future of her impact.
Ed note.
https://www.dsanorthstar.org/blog/happy-birthday-dolores
Dolores was a member of DSA from 1982 until at least 2016. I do not know if she remains a DSA member. She was an Honorary Chair of DSA from at least 1990 until the 2017 Convention. She spoke at numerous DSA functions and conventions.
The honorary chairs were abolished in that year.
Sunday, April 07, 2024
Thursday, April 04, 2024
Biden; Stop the Bombing
I’m deeply troubled that the Biden administration continues to approve the transfer of thousands more bombs to Israel.
Not only does this further our moral complicity in the bloodbath in Gaza, but it gives away whatever bargaining leverage the Biden administration might have to stop Benjamin Netanyahu from further death and destruction in Gaza.
One need not take sides in this war to be horrified by the killing of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.
Of course Hamas deserves condemnation for seeking the obliteration of Israel and for the inhumanity it wrought on October 7. The Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu deserves condemnation for killing over 30,000 Palestinians living in Gaza, a large percentage of them children. By May, the World Food Program and others suggest that half the population of Gaza may be on the verge of catastrophic starvation.
I believe Joe Biden genuinely wants this conflict to end. I believe he truly thinks Israel’s operation to go after Hamas has been “over the top,” as he’s said, in terms of it being wildly disproportionate to the odious actions Hamas took on October 7. I believe Biden was truly “outraged and heartbroken” by the Israeli airstrikes in Gaza earlier this week that killed seven aid workers for the charity group World Central Kitchen. And I believe he really does want to draw a “red line” and prevent Netanyahu from mounting a planned invasion of Rafah, where 1.4 million Palestinian refugees have sought shelter.
Despite all this, the Biden administration has been unwilling to impose a single cost or consequence that would translate into real pressure on Netanyahu. Instead, the U.S. has just authorized the transfer of billions of dollars’ worth of more military equipment to Israel. It just approved a shipment of two-thousand-pound bombs, and twenty F-35s.
Beyond America’s moral complicity in the bloodbath in Gaza there is also politics — here in America and in Israel.
Americans are no longer willing to provide unconditional support to the Israeli government as it kills or starves ever more Palestinians. Many Democratic voters are unhappy with Biden’s inability or unwillingness to confront Netanyahu, the most rightwing Prime Minister of the most rightwing government Israel has ever had.
Netanyahu, for his part, needs to keep this war going for his own political survival. He knows that if the war stops, he is probably going to lose power.
We can and we must get tough with Netanyahu. The U.S. government has the authority to suspend an arms package any time before delivery.
Granted, it is politically difficult to confront an Israeli Prime Minister. I was in the Clinton administration when Netanyahu met with him in June of 1996. I heard Clinton explode after that meeting, “Who’s the fucking superpower here?”
But there comes a time when America must stand up even to our closest allies when those allies are in the wrong. In 1956, Dwight Eisenhower threatened sanctions if the Israelis did not withdraw from Sinai. That was just before an American election. The Israelis did withdraw. Eisenhower was reelected.
