Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 02/24/25
Source: Antiwar.com
“40,000 West Bank Palestinians Can’t Return Home, US Strike Kills Syrian Minister’s Brother, and More.” (02/24/25)
Academia finally got schooled
Source: Washington Post
by Megan McArdle
“The left [sic], not the right, picked this fight. Too many institutions set themselves up as the ‘Resistance’ to Trump and tried to make a lot of mainstream political opinions anathematic, while expecting to be protected from backlash by principles such as academic freedom that they were no longer honoring. This was politically naive and criminally stupid for institutions that rely so heavily on U.S. taxpayer support. Academia at least should have known better, given that it has entire departments devoted to studying how politics works.” (02/24/25)
NY: Delgado announces he’s leaving ticket following public breaks with Hochul
Source: New York Post
“New York Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado said Monday he won’t run for reelection as Gov. Kathy Hochul’s number two in 2026. In a statement posted to X, Delgado hinted as a potential gubernatorial run, telling New Yorkers he is ‘determined to be your voice in statement government now and in the future.’ Delgado’s sudden announcement culminated months of public splits with Hochul, including most recently when he called for the resignation of New York City Mayor Eric Adams.” (02/24/25)
Quantum Vibe, 02/24/25
Source: Big Head Press
by Scott Bieser
Cartoon. (02/24/25)
The Coup [sic] Has Failed
Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen
“Last week, The Washington Post reported that Donald Trump was about to announce a reorganization of the U.S. Postal Service by executive order, firing the Postal Board of Governors and moving the quasi-independent agency under the Commerce Department. Liberals were outraged, and some were miffed that Joe Biden couldn’t even fire Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. But everyone drove past one fact: The very idea is ridiculous. In his previous discussions of USPS, Trump had talked about privatizing it, not bringing it further into the federal government. Only Congress, though, can actually reorganize an agency that it established through statute. … By law, the Postal Service is generally exempt from executive orders.” (02/24/25)
https://prospect.org/politics/2025-02-24-trump-coup-has-failed/
CA: Anti-gang activists patrol, disrupt abduction operations throughout Los Angeles County
Source: KTLA 5 News
“Immigration rights activists have banded together to conduct patrols throughout Los Angeles communities and, in a few instances, have stopped raids as they were happening. One group, Community Self-Defense Coalition, told KTLA they’ve busted two raids so far – one in Alhambra, and the other in San Fernando. It was early Sunday morning when community members heard group volunteers alerting them of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Alhambra. ‘There they are, there’s ICE, ICE spotted in Alhambra,’ one activist is heard saying in video footage showing a group of volunteers driving up to the scene. Their group, Community Self-Defense Coalition, is made up of more than 100 volunteers and began patrolling the streets of L.A. to notify the public of immigration enforcement activity.” (02/23/25)
Bangladesh: Residents attack air force base in altercation with soldiers, leaving 1 dead
Source: Seattle Times
“A group of residents in southern Bangladesh on Monday attacked an air force base following an altercation, prompting soldiers to open fire that killed at least one and wounded several others, local media reports said. The military in a statement blamed ‘miscreants’ for attacking the air force base in Cox’s Bazar. It did not mention any casualties. The country’s largest English-language Daily Star newspaper reported one dead. The violence broke out after a man on a motorbike was challenged by air force soldiers for not wearing his helmet, according to the Bengali-language Prothom Alo newspaper. After an altercation, the man’s relatives and neighbors came forward and started attacking the base, the report said.” (02/24/25)
Fountainhead Forum, episode 275
Source: Fountainhead Forum
“Albert Nyakundi on the corruption of USAID and life in Kenya.” (02/23/25)
https://rumble.com/v6ocqx3-ff-275-albert-nyakundi-on-the-corruption-of-usaid-and-life-in-kenya.html
Ukraine War at 3: The victory we demanded and the attrition we got
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by Marcus Stanley
“The military stalemate in Ukraine was predictable. In late 2022, around the time that shifts in the front line slowed to a crawl and the war became a bloody battle of attrition, General Mark Milley, then chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared that the Ukrainians had ‘achieved about as much as they could reasonably expect on the battlefield’ and recommended that Ukraine should therefore ‘try to cement their gains at the bargaining table.’ The events of the next two years proved him essentially correct, but his advice was not followed. The Biden administration quickly distanced itself and publicly rejected a diplomatic track. Others calling for a diplomatic opening at the time were also met with sharp criticism.” (02/24/25)
The Pentagon must cut $50B of waste; put this weapon on the chopping block first
Source: New York Post
by Mark Montgomery
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced plans this week to move up to $50 billion of the Pentagon’s budget from ‘low-impact and low-priority programs’ to ones that align with President Trump’s defense strategy — an excellent first step to get the department ready for the threats America faces from China and other adversaries. But not even cutting every last DEI program and burdensome administrative process will yield anywhere close to $50 billion. The only way to find that kind of money is to cut weapons programs that no longer meet America’s needs. And the first item on the chopping block should be the Long-Range Standoff missile, which will cost at least $16 billion over the next 10 years.” (02/23/25)
https://nypost.com/2025/02/23/opinion/the-pentagon-must-cut-50b-of-waste-axe-this-weapon-first/