A commentary on America, divided into short sections, dealing with support for Israeli violence, Trump's indictment, Hunter's laptop and more.

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*Hypocrisy on Parade. CUNY and others are very upset at the graduation speech given by Fatima Mousa Mohammed (pictured above) on 12 May 2023. NY City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov wants the state to deny the young woman the right to practice law, even if she passes the bar exam. The Zionist Organization of America has requested that the courts "disqualify" her from obtaining a law license "in any state." Others say she's a "Jew hater." Yikes! Kinda' makes you wonder what she said. That the US is governed by "White Supremacy." Check. That US institutions are "racist." Check. That the US is building an "empire." Check. That the US gov't supports countries that routinely violate human rights. Check. That Zionism is a "dynamic of violence and inequality" used to "disenfranchise Palestinians." Triple check. I don't understand it. Why is everyone so upset? Everything she said is absolutely, 100% correct.

*Rule Of Law. So, Special Counsel Jack Smith announced that former-president Donald Trump has been indicted on 37 criminal charges, ranging from "withholding national defense information" to "concealing possession of classified documents." At last, Democrats whine. Gov't interference, Republicans snivel. In his first public statement, Smith bragged that Trump's indictment demonstrates "our nation's commitment to the rule of law." No word yet on when the DOJ would be applying the same principle to Obama, Clinton, Biden, Bush, Cheney, Rice, Clapper, Haspel and all the other villains who routinely broke the law and are still feted by "polite" society. Helpful hint: don't hold your breath.

*Like Father, Like Son. Another day, another whistleblower telling the truth about the investigation into Joe Biden's drug-addled, womanizing, depraved dreg of a son, Hunter. The newly-appointed official in charge claims it was being "slow-walked" by order of the Biden DOJ. Fourteen-year veteran Gary Shapely, who took over the department's inquiry into Hunter Biden's laptop in 2020, immediately saw "deviations" in the normal investigative process, deviations which inevitably helped the president's son. Memo to Jungle Gym: See? That's how you weaponize gov't.

*Two-State Solution. According to Palestino Hoy, a Spanish-language twitter account, Mexico has formally recognized the "state of Palestine," with plans moving forward to upgrade the Palestinian Special Delegation to a full embassy. It's always a good day when justice prevails. The courage and the determination shown by the Mexican Senate in the face of non-stop Western attacks against not just the Palestinian people but against anyone who supports them should serve as a beacon of light for the rest of the world. "There is hope."

*Or maybe not. In spite of the well-documented crimes perpetrated by Israel against the citizens of Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank, the US has chosen to, ahem, pull the blinds down on human rights abuses in the Occupied Territories. "Turn that damn beacon off!" The current administration recently embraced a definition of anti-Semitism that equates the struggle to free Palestine with "hatred of the Jewish people," a transparent attempt to sabotage the movement, while at the same time giving cover to the religious zealots running the country.

**Murderous Cowards. A little over a year ago, an IDF sniper murdered one of the clearest, strongest voices documenting Israeli crimes against Palestinians. Shireen Abu Akleh was fearless in her devotion to the Palestinian cause, a true warrior for justice, and for her efforts the Zionists killed her. This is not a dream. It's not a rumor. It's not fake news. After initially blaming Palestinians, and then stalling for 100 days, even the IDF was forced to admit it was one of their own who did the deed. "It was an accident." "The soldier is sorry." Of course she / he is. The good news is neither gov't, Israeli or American, will investigate further, and no charges will be filed against the sniper who pulled the trigger. Poof! All better now?

*Expel All Liars. Not long after taking over the House, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) kicked Adam Schiff (D-CA) off the Intelligence Committee because Schiff "openly lied to the American people" about the Trump administration colluding with Putin and the Russian state, otherwise known as Russia-gate. Now, first-year Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fl) has filed a motion to throw Schiff out of Congress altogether, and for the same reason. Liars in Congress? I'm shocked!

*Except, No So Much. Ms Luna, you might recall, has been accused of "fabricating portions of her past" in the same manner as her colleague, serial fabulist George Santos. This includes claims about her heritage, her surname, her impoverished childhood and her father's arrest record. Maybe not the best person to complain about candor.

*Speaking Of Candor. Mr Schiff's response to Representative Luna's motion is a perfect example of the blatant dishonesty that dominates political discourse in the US today. Besides whining about partisan slights, Schiff absolves himself of any wrongdoing, declaring, in a voice tinged with fake indignation, that he "stood up for the rule of law." Hmm. According to the Inspector General, the agency charged with investigating the origins of Russia-gate, he got it exactly backwards. Their report, released in December 2019, confirmed that the operation was, in fact, a complete fraud, with "17 significant errors or omissions" in the FISA applications alone. Schiff's defense of his lying was itself a lie. And the guy's running for the Senate. Woo-hoo!

*Bait-And-Switch. Gavin Newsom, California's youthful governor, Nancy Pelosi's erstwhile nephew and a solid bet to run for national office in the near future, is turning out to be the golden state's version of Barack Obama. "Run Progressive. Govern Corporate." Newsom has shown all the qualities that make him a perfect candidate for a leadership position: he's a liar, a cheat and a long-time corporate stooge. Proving, once again, the entire Democratic Party establishment is rotted through and through. Gas tax, anyone?

*Sanctuary For Women. While we're at it, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe, this same governor told the nation California would be a sanctuary for any woman seeking an abortion. Not so fast, say the cops running 71 police departments throughout the state. Apparently, if a woman from Missouri or Florida or Texas needs to have an abortion and is forced to come to California for the procedure, these guys will do everything in their power to make sure she is found out. How would they do that? Easy. They track her license plate number and forward it to the authorities in the woman's home state. Two questions: first, what do you think will happen to the woman once she returns home? And second, what do you think will happen to the cops? (It's not a trick question.)

*The Durham Report. Ah, yes, another bogus witch hunt wasting taxpayers' money. According to corporate media, it's a "big fat nothing," right? More Russian propaganda. Look closer. Among other tidbits, the report reveals that CIA Director James Clapper "briefed" both President Obama and Vice-President Biden on Hillary Clinton's plan to push the Russia-gate lie. They knew Clinton and her co-conspirators were preparing to put in motion a covert operation to frame Trump as a Russian agent, the purpose of which was to obstruct the newly-elected administration's ability to govern. That's treason, for anyone keeping score. Obama and Biden knew and said nothing. That makes them accessories.

*Can You Say Cave? What's this? "Progressive" Democrats warning Biden not to give in to Republican demands on the deficit? Nonsense upon nonsense. Tis' a tale told by idiots, full of sound bites and bluster, signifying nothing will change. Simply place their threats within the prevailing political reality and the truth comes into relief: "We're happy to play at progressive, to 'swell a scene or two.' But that's it. We will not challenge corporate power, or eternal war, or systemic deceit. Our careers depend on going along." Gutting nutrition programs? Destroying the environment? Betraying his promise on student debt? Forcing seniors to work? More money for war? Count on it.

*Fat Boy Fat. Don't look now, but that former "Governor of Groove," Chris Christie, is about to announce he's running for president. (Actually, the man can't run anywhere, more of a blubbery waddle.) Who can forget his first campaign? His botched attempt at political payback? His botched attempt to cover up the payback? How about the helicopter ride to his son's high school football game, paid for by the citizens of New Jersey? Or his family vacation on a beach he closed to the public? Or his trashing of the twice-impeached former-president, only to kiss his rear a year later. Exactly the kind of unprincipled, arrogant slob the nation needs. Not.

*He Raped Her. Tara Reade, the former aide who accused Joe Biden of raping her in 1993, has been forced to move to Russia for her own safety. This wasn't Trump and his thugs threatening people they considered enemies. It wasn't Bojo or Macron or Netanyahu using the power of the state to destroy truth-tellers seeking justice. This was carried out by Democratic Party operatives right here in the good ol' USA: a courageous woman fleeing her home country because she told the truth about a powerful man. Note: a special curse on those gutless women's groups who sided with Biden. Ms Reade was as credible as E Jean Carroll, Anita Hill and Christine Blasey Ford. She was crystal clear on the details, the location, the time, the date and the three friends she confided in, each of whom have publicly corroborated her account. And you self-hating sell-outs turned on her. May the shame be with you forever.

*Bipartisanship. All this fuss over Supreme Court Justice Clarence "Long Dong" Thomas. He's incompetent. He's corrupted. He's a Neo-Catholic extremist. He hates black people. And so on. Ever wonder how in the world someone so manifestly unfit for the job got put on the US Supreme Court in the first place? The answer: Joe Biden. Lest we forget, "Lunch Box" Joe was chair of the Senate committee overseeing Thomas' nomination and he could have squelched the nominee right then and there. (Thomas' nomination was rejected by the NAACP, while two members of the ABA rated him "unqualified," the first time in history.) Instead, Biden did the opposite. He deceived Anita Hill into thinking she would speak first and then left her dangling; he blocked the testimony of three people who were prepared to corroborate Hill's account; he allowed Thomas to speak first, thereby helping to establish the "high tech lynching" narrative; and then he sat back and watched as his Republican colleagues viciously smeared Professor Hill. For three days. Joe Biden. Got that?

**Fun fact. Clarence Thomas was a well-known sexual deviant as far back as the 1980's. "He was obsessed with pornography," says his girlfriend of five years, Lillian McEwen. She told reporters Thomas would often take her to Graffiti, a porn shop that catered to his fixation on "large breasts." Fast forward to 1991 and Anita Hill. Joe Biden and his colleagues on the Judiciary Committee knew all about Thomas's "hobbies." They'd interviewed Susan Hoerchner, Ellen Wells and John Carr, three of Hill's colleagues who were prepared to corroborate her account. They interviewed Angela Wright by phone, who had worked with Thomas and who'd written the committee a letter describing his inappropriate behavior in detail. No matter. The chair cleverly ignored the letter and blocked the witnesses' testimony, thereby ensuring a sexual pervert would make it to the Supreme Court. Two years later, this same chair is credibly accused of raping a female aide. It's a club, right? Tell me you're surprised.

*Won't Get Fooled Again. Fourteen years ago the nation went weak-kneed at the thought of having elected the first mixed-race candidate to the highest office in the country. In January 2009, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. Three years later, the 'Constitutional Law Professor' signed a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that effectively gave the military the power to arrest and detain any American citizen, anywhere in the world, without a warrant, without charges, without legal representation and without a trial. Eight years after that, Mr Obama was gifted a million-dollar mansion on Martha's Vineyard. "Hope and Change" in real time.

*"The Issues Are Too Important." Bad weather brewing ahead of Biden's re-election launch. Polling suggests a huge majority of democratic voters (75%) do not want Joe Biden to run for re-election in 2024. He's ancient. He's senile. He falls a lot. He lies a lot. He's a corporate sell-out. Given the way this thing is being reported, one could be forgiven for thinking voters actually had a say in the matter. Silly rabbit, they don't. Elites in Washington have already decided. As long as Biden pushes eternal war abroad and neoliberal austerity at home, he's their man. Now, close your eyes and go to sleep. We're almost there.

Authors Bio:

BK Faunce is a retired Associate Professor of English (UMW / UCSC) specializing in British Romantic Literature, Film Theory and Writing. His recent work examines the use of state power and its impact on visual culture.