#border state cooperation

[townpostin]

Inter-State Meeting on Naxalism Convenes in Ranchi

Top police officials discuss enhanced cooperation against Left Wing Extremism A crucial inter-state coordination meeting on Naxalism brought together top police officials from Jharkhand and neighboring states in Ranchi. RANCHI – The Union Home Ministry organized a critical inter-state coordination meeting in Ranchi, focusing on combating Naxalism and enhancing cooperation among affected…

[fatehbaz]

[D]omesticated attack dogs [...] hunted those who defied the profitable Caribbean sugar regimes and North America’s later Cotton Kingdom, [...] enforced plantation regimens [...], and closed off fugitive landscapes with acute adaptability to the varied [...] terrains of sugar, cotton, coffee or tobacco plantations that they patrolled. [...] [I]n the Age of Revolutions the Cuban bloodhound spread across imperial boundaries to protect white power and suppress black ambitions in Haiti and Jamaica. [...] [Then] dog violence in the Caribbean spurred planters in the American South to import and breed slave dogs [...].

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Spanish landowners often used dogs to execute indigenous labourers simply for disobedience. [...] Bartolomé de las Casas [...] documented attacks against Taino populations, telling of Spaniards who ‘hunted them with their hounds [...]. These dogs shed much human blood’. Many later abolitionists made comparisons with these brutal [Spanish] precedents to criticize canine violence against slaves on these same Caribbean islands. [...] Spanish officials in Santo Domingo were licensing packs of dogs to comb the forests for [...] fugitives [...]. Dogs in Panama, for instance, tracked, attacked, captured and publicly executed maroons. [...] In the 1650s [...] [o]ne [English] observer noted, ‘There is nothing in [Barbados] so useful as … Liam Hounds, to find out these Thieves’. The term ‘liam’ likely came from the French limier, meaning ‘bloodhound’. [...] In 1659 English planters in Jamaica ‘procured some blood-hounds, and hunted these blacks like wild-beasts’ [...]. By the mid eighteenth century, French planters in Martinique were also relying upon dogs to hunt fugitive slaves. [...] In French Saint-Domingue [Haiti] dogs were used against the maroon Macandal [...] and he was burned alive in 1758. [...]

Although slave hounds existed throughout the Caribbean, it was common knowledge that Cuba bred and trained the best attack dogs, and when insurrections began to challenge plantocratic interests across the Americas, two rival empires, Britain and France, begged Spain to sell these notorious Cuban bloodhounds to suppress black ambitions and protect shared white power. [...] [I]n the 1790s and early 1800s [...] [i]n the Age of Revolutions a new canine breed gained widespread popularity in suppressing black populations across the Caribbean and eventually North America. Slave hounds were usually descended from more typical mastiffs or bloodhounds [...].

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Spanish and Cuban slave hunters not only bred the Cuban bloodhound, but were midwives to an era of international anti-black co-ordination as the breed’s reputation spread rapidly among enslavers during the seven decades between the beginning of the Haitian Revolution in 1791 and the conclusion of the American Civil War in 1865. [...]

Despite the legends of Spanish cruelty, British officials bought Cuban bloodhounds when unrest erupted in Jamaica in 1795 after learning that Spanish officials in Cuba had recently sent dogs to hunt runaways and the indigenous Miskitos in Central America. [...] The island’s governor, Balcarres, later wrote that ‘Soon after the maroon rebellion broke out’ he had sent representatives ‘to Cuba in order to procure a number of large dogs of the bloodhound breed which are used to hunt down runaway negroes’ [...]. In 1803, during the final independence struggle of the Haitian Revolution, Cuban breeders again sold hundreds of hounds to the French to aid their fight against the black revolutionaries. [...] In 1819 Henri Christophe, a later leader of Haiti, told Tsar Alexander that hounds were a hallmark of French cruelty. [...]

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The most extensively documented deployment of slave hounds [...] occurred in the antebellum American South and built upon Caribbean foundations. [...] The use of dogs increased during that decade [1830s], especially with the Second Seminole War in Florida (1835–42). The first recorded sale of Cuban dogs into the United States came with this conflict, when the US military apparently purchased three such dogs for $151.72 each [...]. [F]ierce bloodhounds reputed to be from Cuba appeared in the Mississippi valley as early as 1841 [...].

The importation of these dogs changed the business of slave catching in the region, as their deployment and reputation grew rapidly throughout the 1840s and, as in Cuba, specialized dog handlers became professionalized. Newspapers advertised slave hunters who claimed to possess the ‘Finest dogs for catching negroes’ [...]. [S]lave hunting intensified [from the 1840s until the Civil War] [...]. Indeed, tactics in the American South closely mirrored those of their Cuban predecessors as local slave catchers became suppliers of biopower indispensable to slavery’s profitability. [...] [P]rice [...] was left largely to the discretion of slave hunters, who, ‘Charging by the day and mile [...] could earn what was for them a sizeable amount - ten to fifty dollars [...]'. William Craft added that the ‘business’ of slave catching was ‘openly carried on, assisted by advertisements’. [...] The Louisiana slave owner [B.B.] portrayed his own pursuits as if he were hunting wild game [...]. The relationship between trackers and slaves became intricately systematized [...]. The short-lived republic of Texas (1836–46) even enacted specific compensation and laws for slave trackers, provisions that persisted after annexation by the United States.

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All text above by: Tyler D. Parry and Charlton W. Yingling. "Slave Hounds and Abolition in the Americas". Past & Present, Volume 246, Issue 1, February 2020, pages 69-108. Published February 2020. At: doi dot org/10.1093/pastj/gtz020. February 2020. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[reasonsforhope]

"When Canada was fighting wildfires in Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia in 2023, blazes that would go on to eventually burn more than 45 million acres, more than 2,000 American firefighters helped extinguish the flames.

Now, Canada has returned the favor. It is sending air tankers and dozens of its own battle-tested wildland firefighters to Los Angeles, its government said. Air tankers can deliver thousands of gallons of fire retardant or water to wildland firefighters on the ground.

More personnel and equipment from Ontario, Quebec and Alberta are ready to be mobilized, according to government officials. And a team of senior technical staff members from British Columbia will fill specialized roles, the government said.

“We both know that Canada and the United States are more than just neighbours,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on X on Friday. “We’re friends — especially when times get tough. California’s always had our back when we battle wildfires up north. Now, Canada’s got yours.”

Mexico quickly followed, dispatching a crew of firefighters early Saturday to help the huge deployment already underway.

“We are a country of generosity and solidarity,” President Claudia Sheinbaum said on X. Ms. Sheinbaum said that the group was carrying “the courage and heart of Mexico.”

Before departing Mexico City for California, the Mexican firefighters held the flags of California, Mexico and the United States on the runway.

Mexico’s civil protection agency said that ��cooperation has no borders” and that the mission reaffirmed “its solidarity with the people of California.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said that he was grateful for the support from both countries."

-via The New York Times, January 11, 2025

[unsolicited-opinions]

Doesn’t the Egyptian navy also enforce the blockade?

I thought it was Israel and Egypt both. But I’ve seen no mention of Egypt’s involvement recently.

(I did see that Egyptian authorities have stopped, detained and deported many of the “march to Gaza” activists.)

Explained: Egypt, the Gaza Blockade, and the March for Gaza activists

If you've seen MSM coverage about the Gaza blockade, you may well believe that Israel is the only country enforcing it.

Egypt has also enforced a blockade on Gaza since 2007. This isn't a secret, it's a long-standing policy, but it rarely shows up in activist slogans, protest chants, or international outrage.

That's part of the reason why western March to Gaza activists were so confused by what they encountered in Egypt.

I can't find any clips of these encounters which aren't biased, so this will have to do:

So let's put this in context.

What Is the Gaza Blockade?

In 2007, after Hamas took control of Gaza from the Palestinian Authority in a violent coup, Israel and Egypt both imposed blockades on the territory.

Israel's blockade focuses on land, airspace, and maritime access (because it shares all of those with Gaza) with the stated purpose of preventing weapons smuggling and rocket attacks. Egypt's blockade is focused mainly on the land border at the Rafah crossing - the only non-Israeli border Gaza has.

Both countries restrict what and who can move in and out. Both justify it on security grounds. Israel cites rocket fire and terror tunnels. Egypt cites Hamas’s ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, a banned and often brutally suppressed group inside Egypt.

What did Egypt do differently at their border with Gaza after Hamas took over?

Tightened Restrictions: Egypt imposed much stricter controls on the movement of people and goods in and out of Gaza.

Rafah Crossing Closure and Intermittent Openings: The Rafah crossing was largely closed by Egypt after the Hamas takeover. It has only been opened intermittently since then, primarily for limited purposes, such as allowing special shipments of medical supplies or facilitating travel for individuals requiring medical treatment.

Participation in the Blockade: Egypt joined with Israel in enforcing a blockade of Gaza, aiming to prevent weapons smuggling and exert economic pressure on Hamas. The blockade has severely restricted the flow of essential goods, contributing to economic hardship and limiting the freedom of movement for Gazans.

Crackdown on Smuggling Tunnels: Egypt launched efforts to destroy the smuggling tunnels that had become a vital lifeline for goods entering Gaza, going so far as to flood the tunnels in 2015.Mediation Efforts: Egypt has engaged in mediation efforts between Fatah and Hamas, the two main Palestinian factions, attempting to broker reconciliation agreements. The Rafah crossing has sometimes been used as a tool in these negotiations.

Focus on Security Cooperation with Israel: Egypt has coordinated closely with Israel on security matters related to the border, which has contributed to the tightening of restrictions on the Rafah crossing. 

Egypt's policies regarding the Rafah crossing have not been static. They have varied depending on internal Egyptian politics, regional dynamics, the state of relations between Egypt and Hamas and security concerns.

Here's a snapshot from August 2023 put out by OCHA, using data provided by Hamas (accuracy questionable, but this demonstrates international attention to the matter.)

While participating in the blockade, Egypt has also sought to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, particularly during times of crisis. For instance, in 2014, Egypt permitted the World Food Programme to bring food through the Rafah crossing.

Does Egypt Enforce a Naval Blockade Too?

Not like Israel does because it doesn't have to. Egypt controls its own coastal waters, but doesn't patrol Gaza's maritime border.

It does tightly restrict access to its land border at Rafah and coordinates with Israel on border and security policies. So while there isn't a direct Egyptian naval blockade, Egypt enforces restrictions on movement and trade just as seriously on land.

Why Don't Activists Talk About Egypt's Role?

Egypt's participation in the blockade is a matter of record. It controls a major border crossing. It restricts people and goods. It's even used violence to destroy smuggling tunnels and detain activists. Yet I've never seen news of protests against Egypt.

Why? Because nuance messes up the narrative and doesn't fit into the oppressor/victim dynamic.

The dominant narrative in much of the West frames the Gaza conflict through the lens of settler colonialism, with Israel as the powerful, evil, European colonizer and Palestinians as the indigenous, helpless, innocent, virtuous colonized. That framing doesn't leave room for Arab states to be seen as complicit or even hostile to Hamas. It flattens the region's politics into a binary that leaves out information which is needed to understand the region.

Put another way, it's easier for some activists to blame Israel alone. Criticizing an Arab country like Egypt (especially one run by an authoritarian government) complicates the story. Also, it doesn't fit on a sign or in a hashtag.

What About the "March to Gaza" Activists?

As noted above, Egyptian authorities detained and deported international activists trying to join a solidarity march to Gaza. These are the same types of activists who accuse Israel of violating human rights for restricting access to Gaza.

So finally, a certain kind of Westerner has noticed that Egypt also has a blockade. Even so, there were no major headlines, no global protests against Egypt, and barely a whisper on social media. Ground News shows the coverage spread is spread pretty evenly.

When Israel stops people at the border, it's called apartheid. When Egypt does it, it's mostly ignored. Why the double standard? (You know why.)

Why Does Egypt Enforce a Blockade at All?

Egypt sees Hamas as a national security threat. Hamas is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt's government sees as a terrorist organization. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi came to power after removing a Muslim Brotherhood president from office in a military coup. Sisi subsequently was elected as Egyptian president and enjoys substantially more support than his predecessor. He has cracked down hard on violent Jihadist/Islamist movements of all kinds.

In September of 2013, an Egyptian court banned the Brotherhood and ordered the seizure of its assets and associations. In December of 2013, the Sisi government officially declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization.

In addition to targeting the Muslim Brotherhood, Sisi's government has waged a continuous and often brutal campaign against various jihadist groups, most notably Wilayat Sinai (formerly Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis), which pledged allegiance to ISIS, in the Sinai Peninsula. This campaign has involved large-scale military operations, curfews, and the displacement of residents.

The Sisi government consistently frames its actions as a necessary "war on terror" to protect Egypt from extremism and instability, and this narrative has resonated with many Egyptians weary of political turmoil.

So Egypt's policy isn't about helping Israel. It's about controlling what happens on its own border and containing a group it sees as dangerous and destabilizing.

Why Does Any of This Matter?

If you want to understand the blockade (and the conflict in general) you need the full picture.

You need to embrace complexity nuance, and shades of grey. You need to let go of the egotistical Western view that the world generally thinks like you do and shares your general values. They don't, it doesn't. The world is too complex to flatten to a binary. Here are some complexities which many Western leftists seem not to grasp:

Arab Regimes are neither Anti-Zionist Saints nor Pro-Hamas Allies.

A common but false assumption among many Western activists is that Egypt and other Arab states are natural allies of Palestinians in their struggle against Israel. Egypt:

Is deeply suspicious of Hamas (an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is outlawed in Egypt and viewed as a terrorist threat).

Has its own national security interests that are often at odds with Palestinian groups.

Maintains its own blockade on Gaza, which predates and operates alongside Israel’s.

Western activists who believe that "Free Palestine" is the unifying moral cause of the Arab world often miss that most Arab regimes are more concerned with their own security concerns, domestic stability, counterterrorism, and maintaining authoritarian control than championing Palestinian liberation. It just doesn't matter to them the way it matters to the Western "Pro-Palestinian" activists.

Egypt Co-Enforces the Gaza Blockade

Egypt controls their Rafah border, the only crossing from Gaza not controlled by Israel.

Egypt routinely keeps the Rafah crossing closed, except for specific humanitarian cases or diplomatic arrangements.

Egypt blames Hamas for instability and violence that spills into the Sinai, and it does not want a flood of refugees escaping into the Egyptian Sinai.

Anti-Imperialism Has Become Weirdly Pro-Imperial

One of the bitter ironies of the Western left's approach is that their anti-imperialism tends to romanticize or whitewash non-Western authoritarian states.* In the name of fighting US or Israeli imperialism, they ignore or excuse:

Egypt's military dictatorship and brutal police state.

Assad's war crimes in Syria.

Iran's suppression of women and minorities.

Russia's aggressive expansionism.

China's human rights abuses against many, including the Uyghurs

This highlights broader confusion among Western "Pro-Palestinian" activists

They seem to reduce every situation to "colonizer vs colonized," or "Oppressor vs Victim" and place all Arab actors automatically on the side of victims justly seeking justice...ignoring that states like Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia have their own histories of colonialism, suppression, and regional imperialism which are varied, complex, and frequently in competition.

They treat Hamas as if it's just a resistance movement rather than a militant Islamist regime which is:

Hostile to Egyptian authority,

Fundamentally illiberal

Hostile to the rights of women and LGBTQ+ persons

In conflict not just with Israel, but also with Fatah (the Palestinian Authority), Egypt, and much of the Arab world.

Missing out on post-colonial dynamics

Try to watch this with Egyptian eyes:

The Egyptians in the video don't just despise Hamas. There's more happening here.

Keep in mind that Egypt was ruled (in whole or in part) by the British as a colonial power from 1882 to 1956.

This uninvited guest, this British Welshman who doesn't speak Arabic and knows nothing about Egyptians or Gazans...is condemning and lecturing Egyptians on their moral obligations as Muslims...on their own soil...with patronizing language like "I believe that the people of the Arabic nations have a white heart."

How might you feel if you were an Egyptian cop or soldier who was expected to be calm while being condescended to this way by this man?

Can you see the extraordinary privilege of which this Welshman is totally unaware and how inappropriate his actions are even by the Western left's own domestic standards and social mores?

His condescension to Egyptians is textbook Orientalism. It's cringe on so many levels.

Projection of Western Political Tropes

These activists (instead of learning about peoples who are geographically, ideologically, and politically distant from them and just as complex as people anywhere) project their own local, parochial, left-wing, binary, intersectional frameworks onto a region where those frameworks don’t translate.

In Egypt, you don’t get to chant "Free Palestine" and assume the police will see you as righteous or even harmless. You're more likely to be detained, interrogated, or worse - and not because they oppose dignity, safety, and self-determination for Palestinians, but because they oppose dissent and are sick to death of being condescended to by Westerners who don't know a single thing about them.

Well, Israelis don't know anything about them either!

~20% of Israel's citizens are Arab and speak Arabic. Another 20% of Israelis who are Jews speak fluent Arabic and you can study Arabic as a second language in Jewish public schools in Israel.

About 40% of Israeli citizens speak Arabic.

Most Jewish Arabic-speakers' families came to Israel from Arab lands where they'd lived for centuries as second-class citizens. They know Arab people and Arab culture. They have Arab co-workers, Arab doctors, Arab judges, and Arab members of their parliament. They have no problem seeing Arabs, individually and collectively, as complex, sophisticated people with intelligence and agency.

Israeli journalist Haviv Rettig Gur:

Western activists seeking to enter Gaza via Egypt discovered to their horror this week one of the most obvious and basic facts about the Gaza war: That Egypt's military dictatorship doesn't care one whit how much Palestinians suffer behind the heavily-armed border fence it has installed between Egypt and Gaza. That this came as a shock to Western activists is itself a function of the fact that they know very little about the subjects of their moral emotions, because the basic purpose of Palestinian activism in the West isn't to move the needle for Palestinians - a task that would require knowledge and nuance and a capacity for self-critique - but merely to experience those moral emotions. I know it can be hard to see it, but this is as far from actual focused concern for Palestinians as Iran's, Egypt's and France's diverse hypocrisies. If given the choice between, for example, an Israeli victory that produces a free and prosperous Gaza and an Israeli loss that sends Gaza back into the clutches of Hamas for another generation, most of these activists will enthusiastically endorse the latter. Because feelings.

Yep. Because feelings.

Tacked on at the End: The Open Air Prison Myth

The claim is often made that the blockade by Egypt and Israel made Gaza, until 10/7/23, an open air prison.

I'm not even going to waste words disputing this. Watch these:

(*Any interest in a future explainer on Tankies?)

Further information:

[nopanamaman]

How do mutants in the Facility live?

Patreon Loredump. August 2023

One of the most frequent types of questions I get are about life in the Facility. So it seems like a good topic to start my loredumping series with! 

Apologies in advance for all the photo examples, I hope they work fine for getting the vibes across.

Overview

The facility dome is visible in the distance.

The facility in general – or, as it’s officially known, the Zh. I. Alferov National Institute of Anomalous Research – is a large structure located on the border of the Zone. Its most notable feature is the massive dome surrounded by an outside wall.

The wall. In real life, the famous building of НИЦЭВТ.

The latter is a building in itself, containing offices, lecture halls, resting and dining quarters for researchers, as well as minor labs. All entrances are supervised, though not totally closed off to the public. Excursions, official meetings, TV reports – all of those happen within the wall.

But you will not find any mutants here. As you may have already guessed, all the major laboratories, anomalous artefacts, and, of course, mutants are housed in the dome. The entrances to the dome are monitored and equipped with anomaly scanners, allowing only authorised personnel and mutants to travel between its sectors.

Mutants cannot traverse the facility unsupervised.

What is the mutant classification system?

Depending on their anomalous characteristics, cooperability and method of containment, mutants are sorted into types and numbered groups. Individual mutant numbers usually look like XT000-000.

Let’s use Dmitry as an example.

Dima’s serial number is DT001-319.

The type constitutes the first part of the mutant’s number. Dima’s mutation is Directional Type, hence the letters DT at the start (for the record, KT stands for Kernel Type).

Next we have the 00X number. Mutants are assigned a 001, 002, 003 or 004 class depending on the potency and containability of their mutation – kinda like SCPs, yeah. Dima has a very powerful mutation he has good control over, plus he is sound of mind, making him suitable for 001 containment.

The last three digits are the overall number of the mutant within their type. So if Dima’s are 319, the facility has had 318 directional-type mutants on record prior to his arrival. This does not mean they were as powerful or had the same level of control over their telekinesis, just that they possessed a similar mutation to some extent.

How do different mutant classes live?

001

001 quarters example. Not too different from a hospital or sanatorium

Subjects ranked as 001 are extremely powerful, have good control over their powers and are, most importantly, docile. Since their mutations are very potent and difficult to forcefully contain, the go-to approach is making them not want to leave.

001s spend most (if not all) of their conscious lives surrounded by doctors. The latter foster a particular mindset in their subjects, where the world outside is presented as a place that is unanimously hostile to mutants. This is done by means of propaganda, reminders about their family’s supposed mistreatment and, in case a mutant has some favourable recollections of their childhood, gaslighting. Additionally, subjects are never left alone with each other.

001s get very luxurious treatment by facility's standards, with much bigger, more comfortable rooms than other mutant types. They're even allowed to have gaming consoles, TVs with VHS and video players, and their own bookshelves. Each mutant has their own separate room, which is kept under constant camera surveillance with the toilet being the only blind spot.

Special folders are issued to 001s before experiments with lower-ranked mutants.

Experiments held on 001s are relatively humane so as not to discourage them from staying at the facility. They do undergo daily checkups mostly designed to monitor their mental state. 001s are also active participants in experimentation on lower-ranked mutants, who they are taught and encouraged to treat as lesser beings.

001s are a high-risk investment, so their numbers are far smaller than those of 002 and 003-class mutants. Additionally, because of the potential danger they present, the institute is quick to dispose of 001 subjects by either termination or reclassification to 004. Though, if a 001 manages to stay cooperative long-term, they can become a very valuable asset for the facility.

002 and 003

002 and 003 quarters example. Though, they’re typically not as well-kept

002 and 003 mutant classes can be grouped together, since their treatment is largely the same. Both of these types’ mutations are easy to forcibly contain. The difference is their danger levels. 003s require close monitoring to not be harmful to others, while 002s are borderline harmless. Both types are characterised by general cooperability.

002s live in wards for 2 to 4 people, while 003s are more commonly placed in single-person wards to prevent accidents. A standard room includes a bed, a desk and a small bathroom (multiple beds and two desks in bigger wards).

KT got to take a dinosaur plushie to her room for good behaviour.

Mutants are allowed to borrow books from the library, as well as get drawing and writing materials. If they behave well, they can get a toy or even be lent a handheld console for a few days. 

002s and 003s have breakfasts, lunches and dinners together, and can spend some time in the playroom with other mutants (that’s also where they can play computer games and watch TV) – all under very strict surveillance, of course.

In some ways, their treatment is much less cruel than that of the elite 001 subjects.

KT before the DT experiment.

Though, not when it comes to experiments. 002s and 003s are very common, and are thus treated as disposable material in a scientific sense. The people holding experiments on them are a lot less concerned with minimising the subject’s pain or discomfort. Consequently, it’s not uncommon for mutants of these classes to sustain serious injuries or die as a result of experimentation.

That said, 002s have the highest likelihood of getting released from the facility, given they meet the conditions for it (more on that below).

004

004 quarters example. Basically a prison bunker

004 is a special category reserved for powerful mutants that refuse or physically cannot cooperate. This number can also be issued as a temporary or permanent punishment to misbehaving mutants. The 004 quarters are located underground and have the highest level of security, acting as a sort of bunker for the most dangerous subjects the facility has.

004 rooms are even more barebones than those of 002 and 003s. They have no access to entertainment (unless it is somehow required to contain their mutation) and cannot leave their room under any circumstances. They are more weapons than test subjects.

Do mutants receive education?

All mutants from class 003 and above receive basic education, learning to read, write and count. They additionally get curated history and sociology lessons. Some mutants, namely 001s, attend mandatory classes in certain disciplines to better apply their mutation. For example, Dmitry studied anatomy to know the precise positioning of internal organs.

Mutants are also free to study whatever sciences interest them in their free time by asking for educational materials at the library. Needless to say, most kids aren’t too interested in that, and are very uneducated compared to their outside peers.

Is there censorship in the facility?

All the media mutants are exposed to at the facility is strictly controlled.

6 y.o. Dima and his politically correct PSP.

The only movies, cartoons, comics, books and games allowed are those that either don't feature the Zone or mutants at all, those that show the discrimination mutants face outside, or those that are very obvious anti-mutant propaganda.

In essence, there are no positive depictions of human-to-mutant interaction, aside from ones between mutants and noble scientists. And, of course, nothing that goes against the general government ideology.

Can mutants be released from the facility?

It is generally assumed that mutants that go into the dome do not come out.

While they are largely dehumanised, the facility is still publicly presented as a sort of scientific sanatorium and hospice for those that cannot safely exist in society. Releasing mutants that know the truth behind the institute’s experiments into the wild is simply of no benefit to the government. So the majority are terminated once their scientific potential is exhausted or if they become too expensive to contain. As a result, few mutants live to adulthood.

Though, there are exceptions to the rule. Occasionally, mutants deemed non-hazardous can be released back into society. This is applicable to mutants that have not experienced significant mistreatment from the facility, lack the ability to talk about their experiences and optimally have been brainwashed by an appropriate 001 subject.

Have other mutants before DT and KT ever escaped?

The funny thing is, escapes aren’t a particularly rare occurrence.

Dmitry and Katya’s escape in KT’s Official Guide to Coolness.

Despite getting a lot of funding, the facility itself is very disorganised. Most of the money is blatantly pocketed by the higher-ups, so a lot of its structures and equipment are subpar – this includes its outdated safety systems. To top it all off, the security staff isn’t especially well-paid, so their diligence is highly questionable.

With all that piling up, there are around 3 cases of low-level escapes every year. Because of tight budgets and plenty of work to do as is, these escapes are generally brushed under the rug. The institute still keeps tabs on the escapees in case they happen to show up on the radar, but it rarely organises active searches or alerts the public for that matter.

DT and KT’s escape stood out because it was anything but low-level, and pretty bombastic at that. But even that didn’t warrant a public announcement for fear of panic and reputational damage. So if you’re an 003 mutant looking for an opportunity to sneak out… Hell, man, just go for it.

Wrap-up

That’s about all I can say about mutants’ life in the research centre, scratch some small factoids here and there. I tried to answer the most common questions regarding the topic, so I hope your curiosity was satisfied!

[wachinyeya]

The Tolowa Dee-ni’ Nation, Resighini Rancheria, and Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community designated the first ever Indigenous Marine Stewardship Area (IMSA) in the U.S. along the northern California coast.

The tribes plan to steward nearly 700 mi2 (1,800 km2) of their ancestral ocean and coastal territories from the California-Oregon border to Little River near the town of Trinidad, California.

As sovereign nations, the tribes say they’re not seeking state or federal agencies’ permission to assert tribally led stewardship rights and responsibilities; rather, they want to establish cooperative relationships recognizing their inherent Indigenous governance authority.

The tribes aim to restore traditional ecological knowledge and management practices that sustained the area’s natural abundance before colonial disruption.

[reading-writing-revolution]

A report on a recent meeting between Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, by a WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, someone who was present in the room:

via KAREN Caron

From a WH Reporter:

“ I’ve covered a lot of Donald Trump's press conferences over the years. I’ve seen him lie, deflect, and embarrass himself in countless ways. But what I just witnessed in the Oval Office may have been the most off-the-rails, unhinged display yet.

Trump sat down with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte — a serious figure there to talk about security and alliance unity — but Trump wasn’t interested in that. No, Trump used the opportunity to fantasize about annexing Canada. He actually said, “Canada only works as a state,” and gushed about how the U.S. would look on a map if we just erased the border and took Canada as our own. This wasn’t satire. This wasn’t a joke. This was the president rambling about absorbing another sovereign nation — while the NATO secretary general sat there watching this clown show unfold.

And it didn’t stop there. Trump started pushing the idea of conquering Greenland too, saying NATO might need to get involved in helping the U.S. take it over — as if it’s a game of Risk. He literally said we "need it for international security" and tried to rope NATO into his imperial fever dream. The look on Rutte’s face said it all.

Then, Trump pivoted to his usual bigotry. Instead of talking about defense cooperation or global security, Trump bragged about how he uses transgender people as political pawns to rile up his base before elections — saying Republicans should “bring it up a week before the election” to win votes. In other words, he openly admitted he sees cruelty and manufactured culture war nonsense as a campaign strategy. Despicable.

When asked about American small businesses hurting from tariffs, Trump did what he always does: lie and bluster. “You’re going to be so much richer,” he said. Meanwhile, Medicaid is being gutted, Social Security is under threat, and Trump’s billionaire cronies are cheering as the safety net burns.

Oh, and then Trump suggested we start sending drug dealers to the Netherlands — yes, you read that right — in a bizarre attempt at humor that landed more like a diplomatic insult, especially considering the NATO secretary general used to be the prime minister of the Netherlands.

He kept rambling about how the U.S. doesn’t need anything from Canada, said the European Union is “very nasty,” claimed we can’t sell cars in Europe (not true), and then told an utterly deranged story about how he “invaded Los Angeles” to turn on the water — another lie pulled from his fantasyland. What actually happened was that he diverted water from Northern California, destroying farmland and hurting his own voters in the process.

To top it off, he said our allies shouldn’t worry about Putin, brushing off any concerns about Russian aggression with a shrug.

Let me be blunt: This is not normal. This is not politics-as-usual. This is a dangerous, unstable person with authoritarian fantasies, spewing nonsense in front of our closest allies while the world watches.”

Keep speaking up. Don’t accept any of this as normal.

Ben Meiselas

[oldguardleatherdog]

Today's Wall O'Text: We've got just under two months to get the first things done.

Timothy Snyder is an American historian whose book On Tyranny made him a household name in 2017, followed this year by On Freedom. His take on what we need to do this time around to mount an effective resistance to Trump's insane agenda is urgent and essential:

Start now. We can get a lot done between now and the Inauguration on January 20th.

Here are excerpts from Snyder's interview in the Rolling Stone article linked above where he describes ways ordinary people can take meaningful steps right now to lay the groundwork for stopping Trump's agenda in its tracks:

~~~~~

[From the article, emphasis added:]

“You can’t despair,” he tells Rolling Stone. “Because that’s what they want. They want you to think that it’s hopeless. It’s never hopeless.”

Snyder’s first rule in On Tyranny is “don’t obey in advance.” He emphasizes that Americans opposed to Trump’s designs should take stock, and action, now. “The period of November, December, January, becomes very important,” he says.

For normal people, Snyder insists the key is “to get out in protest” — now and through the inauguration. The understandable impulse of “keeping your head in,” Snyder says will only embolden Trump’s reactionary team.

“You’re giving them even more confidence that they’re gonna be able to do what they want in January.” What’s demanded of activists in this moment is to “deflate that confidence,” Snyder says, and you do that by “showing that you’re not afraid, by cooperating with your neighbors, and by organizing.”

Snyder emphasizes a lesson of the “Wall of Moms” in Portland, Oregon, in late summer 2020, who helped drive up the political cost and terrible optics for Trump’s most heavy-handed crackdown on public dissent. Launching tear gas at Black Lives Matter protesters looked different on TV when the feds were brutalizing a wall of white mothers in gold shirts, locking arms at the front of the crowd. “It’s about corporeal politics,” Snyder says. “Getting your body out where there are other bodies — with people who are maybe not like you or maybe less privileged than you.”

Here, Snyder insists, is where the American public has its most important, and perhaps most challenging role to play. “The Trump-Vance initiatives can only work by getting the population involved — and basically corrupting us,” he says. Snyder argues that even Americans who might share anger with Trump about immigration may yet be recruited to block the border camps promised by Stephen Miller. 

“That’s the kind of active thinking that folks have to do — am I going to become the kind of person who takes part in this sort of thing? Am I going to become the kind of person who denounces my neighbors because they are not documented?”

“If Their Rights Are on the Line, My Rights Are on the Line”

A key to resisting authoritarianism, Snyder says, is standing up for the rights of the least powerful first. “If protest comes down to the people who are protesting only because they have to, then you always lose,” he says. “It has to be people who are one, two, three, four, even five steps away from being directly affected who show solidarity — and who also show pragmatism and wisdom by getting out early. 

“If you’re more privileged, you should be thinking, ‘What can I do for the least privileged people?’” he says. “If their rights are on the line, my rights are on the line. That’s not just a moral position. It’s actually, politically, 100 percent correct.” 

In the meantime, Snyder advises, America’s system of federalism offers hope for democracy at the state and local level. “Many things are going to be terrible. But controlling the federal government doesn’t mean you’re controlling everything,” he says. He exhorts Americans to support the institutions closest to them that uphold democratic norms — “whether that means some civil society organization, or state government, or a local mayor” — and collectively try to strengthen those bodies.

[End article text.]

~~~~~

[dostoyevsky-official]

How Trump’s ‘51st State’ Canada Talk Came to Be Seen as Deadly Serious

After President Trump imposed tariffs on Canada on Tuesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made an extraordinary statement that was largely lost in the fray of the moment. “The excuse that he’s giving for these tariffs today of fentanyl is completely bogus, completely unjustified, completely false,” Mr. Trudeau told the news media in Ottawa. “What he wants is to see a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that’ll make it easier to annex us,” he added. [...] On those [February 3] calls, President Trump laid out a long list of grievances he had with the trade relationship between the two countries, including Canada’s protected dairy sector, the difficulty American banks face in doing business in Canada and Canadian consumption taxes that Mr. Trump deems unfair because they make American goods more expensive. He also brought up something much more fundamental. He told Mr. Trudeau that he did not believe that the treaty that demarcates the border between the two countries was valid and that he wants to revise the boundary. He offered no further explanation. [...] The Toronto Star, a Canadian newspaper, has reported that Mr. Trump mentioned the 1908 border treaty in the early February call and other details from the conversation. And the Financial Times has reported that there are discussions in the White House about removing Canada from a crucial intelligence alliance among five nations, attributing those to a senior Trump adviser. [...] While Mr. Trump’s remarks could all be bluster or a negotiating tactic to pressure Canada into concessions on trade or border security, the Canadian side no longer believes that to be so. And the realization that the Trump administration was taking a closer and more aggressive look at the relationship, one that tracked with those threats of annexation, sank in during subsequent calls between top Trump officials and Canadian counterparts. [...] [Commerce Secretary] Mr. Lutnick called [Finance Minister] Mr. LeBlanc after the leaders had spoken on Feb. 3, and issued a devastating message, according to several people familiar with the call: Mr. Trump, he said, had come to realize that the relationship between the United States and Canada was governed by a slew of agreements and treaties that were easy to abandon. Mr. Trump was interested in doing just that, Mr. Lutnick said. He wanted to eject Canada out of an intelligence-sharing group known as the Five Eyes that also includes Britain, Australia and New Zealand. He wanted to tear up the Great Lakes agreements and conventions between the two nations that lay out how they share and manage Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie and Ontario. And he is also reviewing military cooperation between the two countries, particularly the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

trump is serious about annexing parts of canada and greenland. he's renegotiating the postwar NATO deal and withdrawing troops from europe to that effect, a north american manifest destiny, but he's looking to do it by any means possible. this is now a matter of time, to be blunted by the upcoming american recession and european assistance to canada

[escapedaudios]

Alfonso canonically has the equivalent of like a 9th grade education by Corriente (people who don't know about the supernatural) standards. He knows a lot about monsters, ritual magic, the use and technical function of "obsolete" pre-electronic technology, foreign language, and battle strategy against supernatural enemies, but he knows fuckall about basically everything else.

His only experience with computers is the bare minimum of using booking software at hotels when he's working his secret identity jobs. He saw MySpace once in 2006 and thought it was the most confusing thing in the world.

Modern pop culture (from 2007-2009, when Alfonso's story takes place) is a mystery to him too. He might read modern books (as confusing as they are) but TV and any post-vinyl era music are like legends from another world to him. This is why the Fall Out Boy band T-Shirt he got from a Corriente is like a mystical artifact to him. He's seen a few movies in cinemas, and can't believe that it's normal for Corrientes to have watched hundreds of movies in their life.

Now and then his fiance will just answer questions for him because he learned about a job or a field of study from the outside world because it was mentioned briefly in a book. It's a cute bonding activity for them. He'll just be like "ok so what does an IT worker do" and they'll talk for hours about mundane things that are fascinating to him.

Contrast this with Crow, who's from the Wasteland but integrated into society. Danny taught him what a credit score was. He understood the concept quickly and it just pissed him off. He found out about property deeds and titles and thought it was the stupidest shit ever. From his point of view, land belongs to whoever fights for it the hardest. The idea that you can buy land with money instead of sweat and blood pissed him off and the fact that a government body needs to agree that you own something to actually own it made him want to kill a motherfucker and the fact that you can't kill the abstract concept of title recording made him absolutely furious.

Jäger has an actual high school diploma accredited by the Connecticut state board of education + an actual bachelor's degree in Political Science with an emphasis on foreign policy, plus a crash-course version of Alfonso's education in the supernatural and pre-electronic technology. He's way more in touch with modern society and informed, and he takes advantage to cooperate with institutions in the Corriente world while maintaining some secrecy. He knows the ins and outs of international law, but he mostly uses it to exploit gaps and loopholes to disobey the law, fabricate identities, cross borders with unregistered weapons, and continue the hunt regardless of where it takes him. He's very aware of the intricacies of modern (1963 to him) society and politics, but he doesn't have much of an opinion on any of it. He sees the politics of the normal world more like a force of nature that he has to adapt to, rather than something he has a stake in. His point of view was formed by having to grow up sneaking in and out of Germany during Nazi rule and WWII, the wild political swings of German politics during the East/West Germany split, and living in three different countries all going through wild political turmoil by the time he was 21. Being a participant in a secret, supernatural war while Corrientes were fighting their own war made him disconnect any personal stake he had in political and national identity. He simply believes that things are constantly changing and there's nothing you can do to stop them from changing, you can only adapt and follow your own purpose with or without cooperation from the outside world. Staying informed is only valuable as a strategic move to learn when and how you must break the rules. Werewolves think the same way, and he kind of admires them for it despite being their enemy.

[the-garbanzo-annex-jr]

by Seth Mandel

In the summer of 2000, Israeli forces pulled out of South Lebanon, where they had maintained a security buffer between Hezbollah and the Israeli civilians in northern Israel. A few months later, Israel was rewarded for this gesture when Hezbollah ambushed three soldiers on the Israeli side of the border and took them captive.

The Iran-backed terrorists disguised themselves as employees of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and attached UN markings to the trucks used in the attack. The next day, UN workers tried to tow away the trucks but were stopped by Hezbollah operatives. The UN workers turned the vehicles over to Hezbollah.

But there was a twist. The UN had videotaped the scene, which was filled with evidence of the previous day’s kidnapping.

What the UN did with that tape is crucial to understanding the UN’s role in Lebanon and in shaping the conflict up to the present. With that tape, the UN did… nothing.

The news this weekend was saturated with coverage of UNIFIL blaming Israel for putting its cardboard peacekeepers in danger while the IDF responds to Hezbollah’s continued attacks. Israel, in turn, exposed the fact that the UN has allowed Hezbollah to construct tunnels and weapons depots under its nose, protecting the terrorists from IDF counterstrikes.

But all of this begins back in 2000, with that videotape.

Israel’s Labor government pleaded with the UN to turn over the recording, which could help Israel in its search for the captives. Time was, as always, of the essence: Every minute that went by put the kidnapped Israelis’ lives in more danger.

Instead of turning over the tape, the UN lied repeatedly by claiming there was no tape. Eventually, scenes from the tape leaked, revealing what everyone knew the entire time: Of course the tape existed. At that point, the UN publicly admitted they’d had the tape all along.

By then, the soldiers were dead. In 2004, Israel would trade hundreds of terrorists in Israeli jails in return for the bodies of the three soldiers.

There was some irony here: The Hezbollah terrorists dressed as UNIFIL and then UNIFIL aided and abetted their getaway and helped ensure the murder of the soldiers. What had started with terrorists impersonating UN members ended with the UN impersonating Hezbollah. The two were on the same team, cooperating in acts of profound evil. It was manifestly unclear where the UN ended and Hezbollah began.

Sound familiar? It should: It’s also the story of UNRWA, the Gaza-based UN agency that has become an adjunct of Hamas. Its members participated in the Oct. 7 attacks last year and even helped hold Israeli hostages. The head of the UNRWA teachers union turned out to be a high-level Hamasnik with ties to Yahya Sinwar, the mastermind of Oct. 7. We even have video of an UNRWA worker dragging away the body of a murdered Israeli alongside a Hamas terrorist. Where does one end and the other begin?

And by the way, the exact date of that Hezbollah kidnapping 24 years ago after which the UN hid the videotape and obstructed Israel’s attempts to get its soldiers back? Oct. 7, 2000.

This pattern would repeat itself throughout UNIFIL’s tenure in South Lebanon. Israel says the time has come for that tenure to end. Over the weekend, Israeli officials guided journalists along the border so they could see for themselves that Hezbollah is stronger with UNIFIL’s presence than without it.

One of those journalists, the Telegraph’s Jotam Confino, posted pictures and video of a UN compound with a lookout tower 100 yards away from a Hezbollah tunnel entrance. To state the obvious: It’s not a hole in the ground. It’s a tunnel, and constructing such a tunnel requires extremely noisy and conspicuous machinery as well as the regular presence of Hezbollah operatives. These tunnels and weapons caches along the border area were built, and are maintained, with the full knowledge of the United Nations—in fact, in full view of the United Nations.

If you approach a UN compound on South Lebanon you are probably standing above a Hezbollah tunnel or bunker. Where does one end and the other begin?

[junosmindpalace]

Hi, an interesting/unusual request. A body-swap AU with Dr. Stone characters and their s/o (or friend, platonically I mean)? How would they react and try to reverse it?

oooou this one's an interesting one! you didn’t specify characters, so i hope these are okay!

SENKU ISHIGAMI: 

He’s bordering on insane disgust and fear and also immense enthusiasm and curiosity to figure out how such an insane phenomenon exists and took place.

At first, he’s freaked out. Rightfully. Confused out of his mind, probably something that happens just as suddenly as the petrification.

So he has his little moment of confusion at first where he's asking all the standard questions, most likely in his mind: What’s happening? How did this happen? Why do I look like this? What happened to my body? Am I dreaming? Ow, that felt real. 

Once he runs into you wearing his body, he’s even more freaked out. Now he’s thinking some more. 

For the most part, then, he’s determined to come up with some kind of answer as to how the swap took place and how he can reverse it. 

He handles it scientifically, of course. Coming up with hypotheses, running whatever tests he can think of, monitoring your states. He might consult various sources, such as textbooks, similar experiments conducted in the past and theories on such a phenomenon, and may even head into fiction territory for ideas. 

He might make a couple of comparisons to media he likes, similarly to how he does with video games. 

But overall, he does NOT find the experience fun. The challenge, sure, the mystery, exciting. But don’t you dare try anything dumb while you’re in his body or he’ll lose it.

Will spend most of his time exhausted and yelling at you if you are the type to goof around in such a situation. If not, he’ll probably urge you to help him in his efforts to reverse such a swap and ask you to cooperate in any sort of monitoring. 

Depending on how long it takes to reverse, also, he feels SUPER uncomfortable being addressed with your name and treated as if he were someone else. And he also feels super weird watching people come up to you while meaning to talk to him. 

If it were pre petrification, he’d also probably hate going through the pain of pretending to be you in order to prevent suspicion on how weirdly supernatural this was and to avoid any other obstacles. 

But if it were post, he’d have no qualms telling people about it, and even consults them for help. 

GEN ASAGIRI:

He’s flustered about the whole ordeal to say the least. 

He’s the one the most worked up about the whole thing, never entirely relaxed the entire time he’s preoccupied in your body. 

He doesn’t really know what to do with himself. He can’t even find it within himself to be sleazy; the whole thing was another level of absurd. 

(And seeing his own face watch in disgust was also a whole other level of embarrassing)

Like Senku, he’s obviously freaked out, but unlike Senku, he spends more time being horrified than actually thinking of the cause behind the phenomenon.

You have to take a good while to actually calm him before either of you can progress to actually coming up with theories on how such a thing could have happened, but being consoled by an out of character version of himself just puts Gen even more on edge.

Once you manage to move past the initial shock, however, Gen does his best to try to think alongside you in what could have caused the swap and what could reverse it.

But then…oh, who was he kidding? He’s no medical man, no scientist, what can he do? 

So he has these moments of helplessness and panic in waves. 

(Which only end up agitating you further, causing you to cry out to “do something, magic man!” and it ends up stressing him out even further)

The two of you are truly lucky if you have the Kingdom of Science by your side at this point, because while Gen can and will hypothesise what happened, he doesn’t really have the means of testing them. So while he’s still worried, he undergoes all the questioning and experiments Senku and the others have for him about the swap. Anything to have him back in his own body. 

KOHAKU:

Before meeting Senku and getting involved with modern science shenanigans so heavily, she’d probably believe the phenomenon was some kind of ailment or sorcery. Which, can you blame her?

Also really freaked out by the event. Maybe not as expressive as Senku or Gen would be about it, but she’s definitely weirded out to see what should be herself staring back at her. 

First thing she thinks of doing to reverse the swap is to try scratching your skin off, clawing at it, or doing something physical to shed the skin and return to hers. But upon your panic (and seeing how it doesn’t really do anything), she eventually stops.

Her train of thought then leads her to believe that an evil force is at work, and is particularly hostile towards the two of you. If that’s the case, she’s doing her best to hunt a physical foe to defeat.

(She may even ask Kinro and Ginro to be on guard just in case it returns and decides to curse someone else)

If both are in vain, however, she’ll possibly try consulting Ruri or one of the village elders to see if they have any experience with the phenomenon, or if it's mentioned in any of the 100 tales to gain some further insight on how to reverse the swap.

If the Kingdom of Science has been established by this point, however, she works closely with Senku and the rest of the science team to figure out what happened. She may not be able to handle too many technicalities, but she’ll gladly cooperate with any trials to get to the bottom of what happened.

Feels weird seeing herself act so uncharacteristically, however, and so does everyone else. But there was also something strangely fun about being in someone else's body. She might joke around a little bit by playfully mocking your mannerisms, just a little bit. All in good fun. 

Overall, she has complete trust in the science team to figure it out, so she’s not too stressed. Which just leads her to be surprisingly chill about the ordeal. 

RYUSUI NANAMI: 

Arguably the most chill about such an event. Maybe even a bit too chill, similarly to Kohaku. 

Of course, he panicked about it. And surprised. Anyone would be. 

He’ll go through the same song and dance Senku did with all his questions, and when he finds you, he’ll also interrogate and bombard you with questions about what you think happened and if you felt or experienced anything strange at all.

Once the panic dies down, however, he’s getting to work trying to figure out how to reverse such an event. I can’t tell whether he’d be similar to Senku pre petrification in hiding it, or if he’s just kind of shameless. Post pre-petrification, however, he also doesn’t mind confiding in the others about the phenomenon and asks the science team to help reverse it (especially for your sake, if he notices any high anxiety on your end).

Besides not doing much else differently from the others with undergoing tests and questioning (and maybe taking on a more active part in figuring out a solution), he finds the experience also somewhat exciting with how nonsensical it was. 

He’s having some sort of fun experiencing life through your senses, your own eyes and ears and mouth. Though he undoubtedly misses his own body, and wants it back just as eagerly as you may want it. 

He reassures you in a boisterous tone that you have nothing to worry about, and the ordeal will be resolved quickly. Though in the meantime, he tells you, you should cherish the opportunity to live as such a handsome dude such as himself!

[darkmaga-returns]

Boston Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu’s 2021 campaign received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a fundraiser who is listed by a Chinese intelligence agency as an official, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation discovered.

Gary Yu, the founder of Boston International Media Consulting, helped raise over $300,000 for Wu with the help of a Chinese civic association he leads. However, Yu — whose Chinese name is Yu Guoliang — is listed as an official by an agency of a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence and intelligence service called the United Front Work Department (UFWD), and also operates as a recruiter for the Chinese government, according to reports from the CCP, Chinese state media and civic associations led by Yu.

“The Communist Party’s UFWD never rests,” author and China expert Gordon Chang told the DCNF. “There is no ethnic Chinese official in America who is not targeted. It’s time for law enforcement to investigate the CCP’s ties to Gary Yu and Yu’s ties to Mayor Michelle Wu.”

Wu has risen to national prominence as a central figure in the Democratic resistance to Trump’s border and deportation policies. Wu recently defended her city’s refusal to cooperate with immigration officials during her March 19, 2025 “State of the City” address, during which she criticized “presidents who think they are kings,” prompting the White House to fire back the next day with a press release labeling Wu a “radical mayor” who “puts violent criminal illegal aliens first.”

[globalnewscollective]

Breaking: Brown University Doctor Deported in Stunning Escalation of U.S. Immigration Crackdown

In a shocking development, a highly respected doctor affiliated with Brown University has been deported under new immigration enforcement policies, sending a chilling message to legal immigrants and skilled professionals across the country. The deportation of a key medical expert raises serious concerns about the future of America’s healthcare system and the broader implications of an increasingly aggressive immigration agenda.

What Happened?

According to CNN, a doctor who had been legally residing in the United States and contributing to critical medical research was forcibly removed from the country. Despite his academic credentials, professional standing, and lawful presence, immigration authorities determined that his status was subject to revocation under the administration’s hardline policies.

Why This Matters

This case is not just about one person—it’s a harbinger of what’s to come. If an Ivy League-affiliated medical expert can be abruptly expelled, what does this mean for the thousands of other immigrants who are legally studying, working, and contributing to American society?

Healthcare in crisis: The U.S. is already experiencing severe shortages of medical professionals. Deporting skilled doctors will only exacerbate this crisis, leaving patients with fewer options and longer wait times for care.

Academic and research setbacks: This deportation sends a clear warning to international scholars and researchers. If world-renowned professionals can be targeted, what does this mean for students and academics seeking to contribute to U.S. institutions?

Legal status no longer guarantees safety: Even those who have followed every immigration rule to the letter are no longer safe from sudden removal. This raises alarming questions about due process and the reliability of U.S. immigration policies.

A Larger Crackdown

This case is part of a broader wave of intensified deportation efforts. Recent weeks have seen reports of international students being denied reentry, legal visa holders being detained at the border, and foreign-born professionals facing increasing scrutiny. The administration has justified these measures as part of a national security strategy, but critics argue that this is nothing more than a politically motivated attack on immigrants.

The Fallout

Erosion of trust: If even legally residing professionals are being expelled, how can immigrants trust the system?

Brain drain: The U.S. risks losing top-tier talent to other nations that provide stability and respect for skilled workers.

Dangerous precedent: If immigration policies can be weaponized against respected academics today, who will be next?

What Can Be Done?

Demand accountability: Lawmakers and the public must push for transparency in immigration enforcement and demand answers for cases like this.

Protect skilled professionals: Advocacy groups must work to ensure that legal residents and essential workers are not arbitrarily targeted.

International response: Universities and medical institutions worldwide must take a stand and push back against policies that threaten global academic and healthcare cooperation.

The deportation of a Brown University doctor is more than just a single tragedy—it’s a warning sign. The erosion of legal protections for immigrants, the attack on professionals contributing to American society, and the destabilization of essential services like healthcare are all on the line. If this is the future of U.S. immigration policy, no one is safe.

[fairuzfan]

Berlin, Germany – A Palestinian employee of Germany’s state-funded development agency has been imprisoned in Israel for more than a month, where she has been beaten and subject to abusive and humiliating treatment, her family members and lawyer say.

Baraa Odeh, 34, works for the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), and was detained by Israeli border guards on March 5 while returning to her home in Ramallah from a work trip to Germany.

She has since been sentenced to three months of administrative detention without charge.

Neither her husband, who is a German national, nor her family have had direct contact with Odeh since her arrest.

“Our life is upside down,” her sister Shireen Odeh told Al Jazeera, adding that her family is extremely concerned for her wellbeing.

“The only thing we do is think about her. We haven’t had a normal life since they arrested her.”

Mahmoud Hassan, a lawyer for Odeh who has spoken to her in prison, said she has been physically assaulted and subject to inhumane conditions.

“When she arrived [at Hasharon] prison, she was strip-searched while the policewoman was shouting at her. She was kept in a cell and later, a policeman that also shouted at her beat her on her leg,” said Hassan, who works with Addameer Prisoner Support, an NGO that supports Palestinian prisoners.

“The policeman pushed her to the corner and the keys he had injured her hand. He kicked her. She said she had marks on her chest. He was threatening to keep her in this cell overnight.

“After a couple of hours, he took her to another room that was not clean and was very cold.”

The second room had security cameras. The toilet was so dirty that Odeh refused to use it. She was then transferred to the overcrowded Damon prison and strip-searched again.

According to reports, detainees at the site have said it is difficult to access medical care or clean clothes. Guards have allegedly blindfolded and handcuffed prisoners when they are moved, and prevented them from sleeping.

Israel has regularly detained and imprisoned workers for Palestinian aid organisations, and sometimes UNRWA, but it is unusual for the Israeli army to hold an employee of a Western organisation such as the GIZ under administrative detention.

Since October 7, when the Israel-Palestine conflict escalated, Israel has sharply increased the arrest of Palestinians in the West Bank. Most have been held under administrative detention, without being charged or given due process. Administrative detention orders are often extended, sometimes for years.

Prisoner rights groups and released detainees have raised the alarm on Israel’s systematic use of torture in its prisons, especially in recent months.

Israel has arrested 8,425 Palestinians, including about 280 women and 540 children, in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between October 7 and April 22, according to Addameer. Some 5,210 administrative detention orders have been issued during the same period, while 16 prisoners have died in Israeli prisons.

Meanwhile, Israel has prevented the Red Cross from making humanitarian visits to prison detainees since October 7.

[chanaleah]

So this is a great example of a fundamental misunderstanding of history!

In 1948, the land that is now Israel/Palestine was controlled by the British Empire. It wasn't owned by either Jews or Arabs in its entirety, and additionally there had not been an independent state in the land since the Jewish Kingdom of Judah was conquered by the Roman Empire in 63 CE.

Secondly, the pre-State of Israel agreed to a UN partition partition plan in 1947 that guaranteed an Arab state and Jewish state in the borders shown on the map below:

On May 14, the State Of Israel declared independence within the borders shown in blue on the map. Rather than accepting an Arab state and a Jewish state, the armies of surrounding Arab states, including Jordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, attacked the nascent State Of Israel with the intention to destroy it in favor of an Arab state in the entirety of the former British Mandate of Palestine.

Before it was attacked, the State Of Israel had no intention to fight the Arab states or hurt the Arabs living in the borders of Israel. This is shown clearly in Israel's Declaration of Independence.

WE APPEAL — in the very midst of the onslaught launched against us now for months — to the Arab inhabitants of the State of Israel to preserve peace and participate in the upbuilding of the State on the basis of full and equal citizenship and due representation in all its provisional and permanent institutions. WE EXTEND our hand to all neighboring states and their peoples in an offer of peace and good neighborliness, and appeal to them to establish bonds of cooperation and mutual help with the sovereign Jewish people settled in its own land. The State of Israel is prepared to do its share in a common effort for the advancement of the entire Middle East.

Direct quotes from Israel's Declaration Of Independence.

However, during the 1948 War* the majority Palestinians living in Israel fled out of fear or were kicked out. Similarly, all of the Jews living in Judea & Samaria/the West Bank were kicked out by the Jordanian army.

Massacres were committed by both sides during the war, including the Deir Yassin massacre, in which many Palestinians were killed by right-wing Zionist militias and the Gush Etzion massacre in which many Jews were killed by the Jordanian army.

Both Palestinians and Jews had to flee/were kicked out of places in which they had resided for centuries - some examples being Lydda/Lod (for Palestinians) the Old City of Jerusalem, specifically the Jewish quarter which was later looted by the Jordanian army (for Jews).

Israel ended up winning the war -- and winning more territory than had originally been given to them. This was what the map looked like after the Armistice Agreement at the end of the 1948 war:

At the end of the war, Egypt occupied Gaza and Jordan occupied Judea & Samaria/the West Bank. There was no Palestinian state.

During and in the aftermath of the 1948 War, 700,000 Palestinians became refugees from Israel, and between 17,000 and 40,000 Jews became refugees from Judea & Samaria/the West Bank and Gaza, and about 1 million Jews became refugees from the rest of the SWANA region.

This post is in no way an exhaustive or authoritative history, but it shows clearly the history of the 1948 War is much more complicated than "forcefully took that land from them".

If you would like me to make a post about history pre-1948 I can do that as well.

*I chose to call this war the 1948 war so as to be impartial as possible. Other names used include the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Israel's War Of Independence, and the 1948 Palestine War.

Keep reading below the cut for sources.

SOURCES: