(BDS & Lawmakers’ Criticism of Israel Excepted)
President Donald Trump has announced at this week’s CPAC conference that he will soon issue a Presidential Executive Order requiring universities across the US to uphold free speech on their campuses or be prepared to lose federal funding.
“Today I am proud to announce that I will be very soon signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars,” Trump said.
“I will be signing an executive order requiring colleges and universities to support free speech if they want federal research dollars” @realDonaldTrump #CPAC2019 #WhatMakesAmericaGreat pic.twitter.com/hyeNZ3jI6F
— CPAC 2022 (@CPAC) March 2, 2019
Yet in early February the Republican-controlled US Senate passed legislation allowing state governments to refuse to do business with companies that boycott Israel. The bill passed, 77-23, with 22 Democrats and Republican Rand Paul dissenting; Paul rightly argued that the legislation threatens free-speech rights.
As MintPress News observes,
The most controversial part of the bill by far is the “Combating BDS Act of 2019,” which would authorize state and local governments to retaliate commercially against entities that support BDS, such as by halting business with or refusing to contract or hire companies or individual citizens who either actively participate in or support the movement. A previous version of the bill included possible jail time as punishment for supporting a boycott of Israel or Israeli settlements, their violation of international law notwithstanding.
The legislation, which attests to the power of Israeli’s lobbying prowess, has yet to be voted on by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives.
Along these lines, in 2011 former Georgia Representative Cynthia McKinney explained that US lawmakers must swear allegiance to Israel or face inevitable expulsion from public office.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_VNOk7Wv5A
Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar incurred the wrath of the American Israeli Political Affairs Committee in February when she similarly suggested how the US Congress is beholden to the Israeli lobby. AIPAC used the incident to embark on a mini-fundraising venture.
AIPAC is using @IlhanMN to raise money in the email it sent out today pic.twitter.com/Y2xbcSew0f
— Mairav Zonszein מרב זונשיין (@MairavZ) February 13, 2019
Since 2004 the US Department of State includes a “Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.” If taken literally, the State Department’s definition of anti-semitism effectively bars any public criticism of Israeli foreign policy toward the Muslim world and occupied territories. This definition is applicable to the speech and activities of the BDS movement on US college campuses.
Boycotts of certain businesses and even countries is part of a long tradition of nonviolent political protest in the United States, contributing to, for example, the demise of South African apartheid in the 1980s.
“contributing to, for example, the demise of South African apartheid in the 1980s.”
This is an unfortunate example. Apartheid means simply, apartness; a group of people who want to live apart from another group doing so. Its common use approximation is free-association. When you consider that denial of free association or apartness, not living in group dorms or working for someone else, is the defining characteristic of slavery, you will see that anti-apartheid means pro-slavery.
It will definitely and always prove futile trying to turn upon the Jews in defense of Palestinians the weapons they have used against Whites. Jews just have too much leverage vs. Palestinians. If however, you use terms like racism and supremacy against Jews in defense of Whites, which after is all more appropriate for White bloggers, then you appeal to the natural instincts of the the one group that can and would effect beneficial change for the Palestinians – but only if WE become independent of the Jews.
Separate from the Jews, apart from the Jews. Apartness is our only hope. Don’t knock apartheid.
Here is the true interpretation of this action by President Trump by Know More News YouTube channel host, Adam Green.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGoZjpaBIS8
32 minute video with good links in show description.
The Dangerous Truth Behind Trump’s “Free Speech” Executive Order 🔴
Know More News
Premiered 2 hours ago
Know More News with Adam Green
https://www.KnowMoreNews.org/
Here is a link the the State Department definition of anti-semitism that will be the tool wielded by the selective enforcement of this new executive order.
https://www.state.gov/s/rga/resources/267538.htm
CPAC
Cringe-worthy Neocon Zionist Shillfest
per Vince James
The Red Elephants channel
recap of convention
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saT41uOHljk
CPAC 2019 Recap w/ Know More News
Know More News
Premiered 7 hours ago
The new UN inquiry finding that Israel intentionally shot children, journalists, and the disabled during Gaza protests:
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/4/un_finds_israel_intentionally_shot_children
Norman Finkelstein on the UN inquiry and the “massacre” of unarmed Palestinian demonstrators by Israel:
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/4/it_is_time_to_indict_israel
“The Truth Is Not Anti-Semitic” at Lift the Veil:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKL-dbTAg2E
I’m still trying to figure out what BDS stands for? Unless I missed it, it’s not explained in this post. Presumably the B stands for Boycott, but that’s as far as I got.
I too had difficulty learning at first what BDS stood for and what anti-BDS laws meant.
Using Google to search the term, BDS, the actual answer was hard to find and way way down in the hits.
BDS stands for
Boycott Divestment Sanctions and it was a movement to protest what Israel has done to Palestinians in Gaza and other occupied territories, whereby people were boycotting purchasing from and otherwise doing business with Israeli companies involved in illegally occupying their businesses on Palestinian property.
I think I read recently where Ireland has successfully beaten down anti-BDS laws.
By the way, the page one of hits I got on google search to get meaning of BDS was…
“Let us be clear: BDS is only about bald-faced lies, deception and slander.”
Regardless of the true nature of this Executive Order, it benefits Dr. Tracy in a couple ways. At minimum, the discussion of free speech at University by the POTUS and others is positive.
Hopefully this new Executive Order will do some good. I note the criticism here is directed at the recent Senate bill and not the order.