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#21

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 09:36:32 AM

So Charlie Kirk... a lot was made of how he was a hate preacher.... less of how he was effectively running a terrorist network.

A Rutgers University expert on antifa tried to flee the United States with his family on Wednesday night in the wake of death threats that followed President Trump's push to characterize the left-wing antifascist movement as a domestic terrorist organization.

But when the expert, Mark Bray, got to the gate at Newark Liberty International Airport, after getting the family's boarding passes, checking their bags and going though security, he was told by the airline that "the reservation was just canceled," he said late Wednesday night.

It was another hurdle for Dr. Bray, a historian who published the 2017 book "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook," and who had taught courses on anti-fascism and terrorism at Rutgers in New Jersey in relative obscurity until a few weeks ago.

In the weeks after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, he has become a target of right-wing hate, accused of being a part of the movement he studied. Jack Posobiec, a right-wing influencer, called Dr. Bray a "domestic terrorist professor" on X. The Rutgers chapter of Turning Point USA then circulated a petition accusing Dr. Bray of being an "outspoken, well-known antifa member" and called for him to be fired.

The petition referred to him as "Dr. Antifa."

"My role in this is as a professor," Dr. Bray, an assistant teaching professor at Rutgers, said in an interview on Wednesday, hours before his planned departure. "I've never been part of an antifa group, and I'm not currently. There's an effort underway to paint me as someone who is doing the things that I've researched, but that couldn't be further from the truth."

The furor grew after Fox News reported on the petition. Dr. Bray's home address was revealed on social media. He received several death threats, including one vowing to kill him in front of his students.

He notified campus and local police, but with two young children, he and his wife, who is also a Rutgers professor, decided that it would be safer to relocate to Spain and teach remotely, at least for this academic year, he said.

Because of the last-minute drama at the airport, the family missed its flight. Dr. Bray said the airline rebooked them on another flight for Thursday. He said he was hoping for the best. "I may sound conspiratorial, but I don't think it is a coincidence," he added. "We're at a hotel and we're just going to try again."

In a statement earlier Wednesday evening, Rutgers said it does not comment on personnel or student conduct matters. "Rutgers University is committed to providing a secure environment — to learn, teach, work and research — where all members of our community can share their opinions without fear of intimidation or harassment," it added.

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Dr. Bray said that the university had offered to provide security for his classes, but that he still felt his family would be at risk. He and his wife were approved to teach remotely as a result of the threats, he said.

On a Rutgers Reddit page, students have expressed sadness and shock that he was leaving. Faculty members, at Rutgers and beyond, have sent messages of support, he said.

"There is no place in American higher education for death threats against professors," Todd Wolfson, the president of the American Association of University Professors and a Rutgers faculty member, said in a statement. "We stand with Professor Bray against this gross assault on academic freedom and freedom of speech."

Several days after publishing the petition calling for Dr. Bray's dismissal from Rutgers, the Turning Point USA chapter added an update saying that it did not support harassment or the doxxing of him or anyone else.

"I think that all death threats and doxxing are unjustified and not how political disputes should be resolved in civilized society," Ava Kwan, a Turning Point USA chapter member, said in an email on Wednesday.

But she defended the broader point of the petition, saying, "I think Dr. Antifa, who believes in violence as a political tool, should be fired, of course. Taxpayer money should not fund the salaries of terrorists."

For years, Turning Point USA has maintained a watch-list of hundreds of professors whom the group accuses of advancing leftist propaganda in the classroom. Dr. Bray is on the list.

He is mentioned in part because he has spoken about how militancy is sometimes required to counter fascism. In the introduction to his 2017 book, he wrote that he hoped his work would promote organizing against fascism, white supremacy and all forms of domination.

He has donated half his author proceeds from the book to the International Anti-Fascist Defense Fund, which supports the legal and medical costs of people who face charges pertaining to antifascist organizing, including in Eastern Europe, but it is not an antifa organization, he said.

"I consider myself an antifascist so far as I'm against fascism, but I'm not part of any of these groups," he added.

A rival Change.org petition began circulating on Sunday, calling on the Rutgers chapter of Turning Point USA to be disbanded, accusing it of inciting violence and promoting hate speech. As of Wednesday, that petition had about 1,800 signatures, several hundred more than the original petition calling for Dr. Bray's firing.

In addition to his work on antifa, Dr. Bray is a historian of modern Spain. His latest book, "The Anarchist Inquisition: Assassins, Activists and Martyrs in Spain and France," explores activism that emerged in response to a wave of repression unleashed by the Spanish state to quash anarchist activities at the turn of the 20th century.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/08/nyregion/rutgers-professor-threats-antifa.html?unlocked_article_code=1.sE8.d5CE.GS7YgcKRAEgO&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

#22

Off the Record / Re: Baseball

Last post by crazy canuck - Today at 09:14:47 AM

One more, one more Daaaa...

#23

Gaming HQ / Re: Europa Universalis V confi...

Last post by Valmy - Today at 09:08:26 AM

I never really got into IV so I guess I will give V a chance. It has been a long time now for me, time for some new EU.

#24

Off the Record / Re: Baseball

Last post by HVC - Today at 08:51:55 AM

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DPkrYgcjLRJ

#25

Off the Record / Re: Refractory Gauls, or the F...

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - Today at 07:02:27 AM

LFI/Melenchon might be marginally "better" as they don't seem to be funded by the Kremlin (that we know of anyway).

They would be a disaster pretty much on par with the RN on policy, so it's a false choice.

Assuming a theoretical where Melenchon gets the same numbers as the fascists then sure.
But I'm looking at the reality here where Melenchon is just one man whose party has to make coalition with a bunch of other, often considerably saner, left wing parties in order to get anywhere. From what I gather many of these other parties aren't fans of his.
The Judean Peoples Front factor I mentioned is real. The left don't fall in line behind the leader in the way the fascists do.
As bad as Emperor Melenchon would be, it isn't happening. The fascists on the other hand are a realistic threat.
Even if Melenchon were to sneak the presidency, no way would he be getting a majority of MPs aligned with him.

At the last Presidential elections Melenchon won 20% and came third, behind Macron on 29% and Le Pen on 24%.

It's not fully clear who the candidates will be in the 2027 election. All poll have the RN reaching the second stage - there have been a few polls that have Melenchon also getting there. The strongest candidate of the left is still, most likely, Melenchon. So Europe's nightmare, a Melenchon-RN second round is a plausible possibility.

LFI are an integral part of the New Popular Front (so the Judean People's Front effect is not real) and the question of how you'll interact with Melenchon and the LFI is a key question on the left right now. So if the NPF tried to form a government, both the RN and Macron's party have said there would be an immediate vote of no confidence if that included ministries for LFI- but it's impossible to see how NPF could form a government without them.

As I always say - I think all of this is downstream of Macron making what is subtext across the West text. Consolidating all the forces of the "centre", obliterating the traditional parties of centre-right and centre-left - they literally really are all the same. But this also means that if you want change you have to go for revolution.

As much as I don't want to wish harm on anyone, Melenchon really needs to shuffle off. Hopefully he grows a sense of responsibility and sees it is for the best to retire.

Absolutely true the LFI are an important part of the left, but they are not THE left in the way the FN are the far right. The left was made up of myriad parties, many of which don't see eye to eye with the LFI on several issues. In fact this was the key issue Macron pointed to for denying them the opportunity to have a prime minister despite being the largest group after the election.

The candidate the left put forward was not Melenchon but Castets, who from all I've heard is considerably better. On the left but non-tankie. Also makes for quite a nice symmetry  with Bordello ( )on the other side with the whole toxic sexism thing that is so dominant in the world but particularly in France at the moment.

The question here isn't is Melenchon good. He clearly isn't.

But one old guy who believes stupid shit whose far left party is hitting their upper limit in getting 10% of the vote   (the Judean Peoples Front effect is very real) is far less of a concern than a far right party that takes funding from Russia.

Melenchon wasn't even under consideration for a PM from the left. Others were.

The same sentiment that made hitler possible.

Exactly. Oldest trick in the book for the far right. Currently being pushed by Trump as well.
Anyone left of centre= the most batshit tiny minority of militant marxists. Same same. Clearly we need a strong far right government in this world being taken over by the far left.

You don't seem to get it. You're no better than those you accuse.

#26

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Tamas - Today at 06:43:52 AM

Are the kids alright afterall?

Either they are alright, or  we are the very first generation in the entire human history to be right about the next generation being shit, despite every single generation in human history thinking the one after it was shit.

#27

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 03:12:37 AM

Everyone seen the Portland Frog?

Some of the clips out of Portland seem to have vibes of gen z stuff seen in recent years in Chile and Nepal.... Are the kids alright afterall?

This is absolutely dystopian shit:
https://www.reddit.com/r/CringeTikToks/s/PNokJGs7RN

A bunch of armed and masked men with no convincing identification thst they are police, put a child into an unmarked civilian car.

Like, the fuck?!

Edit: maybe it's an adult not a child but it only makes marginally less terrifying.

Also the Chicago video. I've said before I think that ICE is lawless and that's not an accident or bad apples. It is the policy. I'd add again that I think this is "American" in the broadest sense - masked paramilitary agents of the state pulling people off the streets, acting on dubious legality etc. I can't help but think of this happening in the rest of the America's in the 20th century fight against Communism and the left and Aime Cesaire's line about how the violence of imperial powers returns to the metropole. How the fascist regimes turned violence and mechanisms of repression onto Europeans that had previously been used by Europeans only on non-Europeans, discretely, imperially. I think Orwell made similar points.

Someone earlier made the comparison with stormtroopers - I think people are talking about conditioning the military to fight like "warriors" in American cities. I'm not sure that'll work. My read is that the American military is committed to its constitutional norms, civil government etc and that is deep in their culture (to an extent that I think they're possibly the last standing institution with a sense of "non-partisanship" about them). But if you need a paramilitary force to go out and be the willing agents of coercion - then I think that's what ICE are absolutely being conditioned to do.

With ICE... I've heard they have lower requirements than other federal agencies. Certainly seems likely they'd heavily recruit from FBI rejects  and the like- this will also have a big correlation with those with a hefty chip on their shoulder which....Yes. A victim complex is the cornerstone of fascism/maga.
A quick google shows the UK border force similarly has lower requirements than the police..... so again possible here. Given what it deals with...seems probable it would attract those with certain views too- I remember that Little Britain sequel, set in an airport, had a recurring sketch about this.

Also noteworthy, and again in the UK.... there was a recent case with a Reform councillor found to have a conflict of interest- his day job was handling asylum claims....

I also think that the right had a weird idea of the partisanship of the military. I think this was Hegseth's pitch - that officers might not like him but the rank and file would love having a real man/"warrior" like him as a leader and he'd basically be able to forge that connection over the heads of officers if necessary. In effect, that the military was ready to be MAGA-fied, they just didn't know it yet. I don't think that's true or that it's happened. By contrast I think ICE, in part because of the political pushback against them (which is correct) are absolutely politicised and aligned with what Trump wants.

I've certainly heard in Britain the far right making inroads into the army is a problem. Given the US similarly recruits from those without many opportunities I would fear the same there.
Though I've seen lots of news articles where they chat to people on the street, at protests, etc... where there's always a military veteran saying screw Trump. So who knows. I guess the US heavily recruiting from racial minorities will make a bit of a difference?

#28

Off the Record / Re: What does a TRUMP presiden...

Last post by Razgovory - Today at 03:09:01 AM

Just for some context, the landlords will hold an eviction against you for about 10 years.  10 years where you can't rent from anyone.

#29

Off the Record / Re: Refractory Gauls, or the F...

Last post by Josquius - Today at 02:49:57 AM

LFI/Melenchon might be marginally "better" as they don't seem to be funded by the Kremlin (that we know of anyway).

They would be a disaster pretty much on par with the RN on policy, so it's a false choice.

Assuming a theoretical where Melenchon gets the same numbers as the fascists then sure.
But I'm looking at the reality here where Melenchon is just one man whose party has to make coalition with a bunch of other, often considerably saner, left wing parties in order to get anywhere. From what I gather many of these other parties aren't fans of his.
The Judean Peoples Front factor I mentioned is real. The left don't fall in line behind the leader in the way the fascists do.
As bad as Emperor Melenchon would be, it isn't happening. The fascists on the other hand are a realistic threat.
Even if Melenchon were to sneak the presidency, no way would he be getting a majority of MPs aligned with him.

At the last Presidential elections Melenchon won 20% and came third, behind Macron on 29% and Le Pen on 24%.

It's not fully clear who the candidates will be in the 2027 election. All poll have the RN reaching the second stage - there have been a few polls that have Melenchon also getting there. The strongest candidate of the left is still, most likely, Melenchon. So Europe's nightmare, a Melenchon-RN second round is a plausible possibility.

LFI are an integral part of the New Popular Front (so the Judean People's Front effect is not real) and the question of how you'll interact with Melenchon and the LFI is a key question on the left right now. So if the NPF tried to form a government, both the RN and Macron's party have said there would be an immediate vote of no confidence if that included ministries for LFI- but it's impossible to see how NPF could form a government without them.

As I always say - I think all of this is downstream of Macron making what is subtext across the West text. Consolidating all the forces of the "centre", obliterating the traditional parties of centre-right and centre-left - they literally really are all the same. But this also means that if you want change you have to go for revolution.

As much as I don't want to wish harm on anyone, Melenchon really needs to shuffle off. Hopefully he grows a sense of responsibility and sees it is for the best to retire.

Absolutely true the LFI are an important part of the left, but they are not THE left in the way the FN are the far right. The left was made up of myriad parties, many of which don't see eye to eye with the LFI on several issues. In fact this was the key issue Macron pointed to for denying them the opportunity to have a prime minister despite being the largest group after the election.

The candidate the left put forward was not Melenchon but Castets, who from all I've heard is considerably better. On the left but non-tankie. Also makes for quite a nice symmetry  with Bordello ( )on the other side with the whole toxic sexism thing that is so dominant in the world but particularly in France at the moment.

The question here isn't is Melenchon good. He clearly isn't.

But one old guy who believes stupid shit whose far left party is hitting their upper limit in getting 10% of the vote   (the Judean Peoples Front effect is very real) is far less of a concern than a far right party that takes funding from Russia.

Melenchon wasn't even under consideration for a PM from the left. Others were.

The same sentiment that made hitler possible.

Exactly. Oldest trick in the book for the far right. Currently being pushed by Trump as well.
Anyone left of centre= the most batshit tiny minority of militant marxists. Same same. Clearly we need a strong far right government in this world being taken over by the far left.

#30

Off the Record / Re: Refractory Gauls, or the F...

Last post by Crazy_Ivan80 - Today at 01:44:55 AM

The question here isn't is Melenchon good. He clearly isn't.

But one old guy who believes stupid shit whose far left party is hitting their upper limit in getting 10% of the vote   (the Judean Peoples Front effect is very real) is far less of a concern than a far right party that takes funding from Russia.

Melenchon wasn't even under consideration for a PM from the left. Others were.

The same sentiment that made hitler possible.