As He Did With the JCPOA (Iran Nuke Deal) Trump Throws The Gaza Ceasefire Deal Out The Window
Trump Sabotages The Gaza Ceasefire, Sets The Negotiation Ceiling and Handed Netanyahu a Free Pass To War.
by Elijah J. Magnier. February 13, 2025
US President Donald Trump has single-handedly dismantled the Gaza ceasefire agreement he helped broker just weeks before entering the White House. By issuing an impossible ultimatum – demanding that Hamas release all Israeli prisoners by midday on Saturday – Trump has deliberately derailed a phased agreement carefully constructed on the basis of Palestinian experience with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a leader notorious for violating agreements unless forced to do so by significant pressure.
Trump’s reckless intervention has handed Netanyahu a diplomatic and military blank cheque, freed him from any commitment to a long-term peace process and paved the way for a full-scale resumption of the war in Gaza. Worse still, the US is no longer a mediator but an enabler of war, giving Netanyahu the perfect excuse to resume indiscriminate bombing while accelerating the forced displacement of over 2.5 million Palestinians.
This fits in perfectly with Trump’s vision for Gaza – a land emptied of Palestinians and repurposed as a real estate project, which fits neatly into the far-right Israeli dream of total Palestinian expulsion.
This is more than Netanyahu could ever have hoped for. By taking an even more extreme stance than Israel itself, Trump has relieved Netanyahu of the burden of justifying ceasefire violations – the US president has already done that for him. Instead of using the five-day deadline offered by Hamas to rectify Israeli ceasefire violations, Netanyahu seized the first opportunity to abrogate the agreement. Instead of honouring his commitments, he revealed his true intentions from the outset – to sabotage the agreement at the first opportunity.
Melinda Dell Fitting, PhD February 23, 1948 – February 6, 2025
Melinda Dell Fitting – July, 1974. Denver, Colorado
Melinda Dell Fitting, PhD
February 23, 1948 – February 6, 2025
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of Melinda Dell Fitting, PhD, on February
6, 2025, at the age of 76. Melinda was born on February 23, 1948, in Los Angeles, California to the late
Jack and Ruth Fitting.
Melinda’s personal, educational, and professional journey was defined by a passion for helping others. She earned a master’s degree in physical therapy from Stanford University, specializing in the treatment of spinal cord injuries. Her dedication to patient care eventually led her to pursue a PhD in psychology from the University of Denver, allowing her to expand her impact on those in need of mental health support. She continued her education with postdoctoral studies in geriatric psychology at Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, where she later served as an assistant professor.
Melinda spent her early years in Oregon, where she developed her love of the outdoors and sports.
When she was 8 years old, her family moved to Marin County in the Bay Area, where she finished high
school and participated in many political activities during the turbulent times of the 60’s. During her
college years in California, attending different schools, she lived with her twin sister, Cynthia, in a house
adjacent to San Quentin prison. The sisters were excellent cooks and there are many stories of the
dinner parties they gave which became a tradition Melinda maintained throughout her life.
In 1985, Melinda married Dr. James Eastham, whom she met while they were both students at Johns
Hopkins. Together, they shared 40 years of love, family, and adventure. They enjoyed traveling the
world, often with friends and family, and cherished their time raising their daughter, Katherine Della
Eastham. Melinda was also a devoted stepmother to Bradley Charles Eastham and James (Jimmie)
Eastham. She enjoyed a close and warm relationship with Bradley’s wife Paula. One of her greatest joys
was being a step-grandmother to Erica, Lila, and Logan Eastham. “Nana Dell”, as she was called, loved
watching them grow and took immense pride in their sports and educational activities, attending as
many events as she could.
Melinda was always active in sports and outdoor activities. As a youngster, she played sandlot baseball
with the boys in the neighborhood; during college years she worked one summer as a rafting guide on
the Snake River in Idaho. During her year of undergraduate study in England she played Net Ball, a form
of Basketball, with the college team. She was an excellent racquetball player. Melinda had a deep
passion for reading, hiking, and nature walks that brought her immense joy and fulfillment.
In 1987, Melinda founded Comprehensive Geriatric Services, a company that provided mental health
care in over two hundred nursing homes across Maryland. She also had a long and impactful career in
private practice, specializing in geriatrics and women’s mental health needs. In addition, she was a
member of the Maryland Psychological Association and served on the Ethics Board.
Beyond her professional and family life, Melinda was deeply committed to serving her community. She
was a board of directors member and secretary of the Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation, an
organization dedicated to providing housing and support to low-income and homeless individuals in
Baltimore. She was an active supporter of The Odyssey School where her daughter Katherine attended
elementary school.
She is survived by her loving husband, James Eastham, her daughter, Katherine, her stepchildren,
Bradley and Jimmie, her step-grandchildren, Erica, Lila, and Logan, and her twin sister, Cynthia. She was
preceded in death by her brother, Jeffrey.
A memorial service to honor Melinda’s life and legacy will be held on Saturday, March 15, at 11:00 AM
at The Odyssey School in Lutherville, Maryland.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her memory to the Govans Ecumenical
Development Corporation (GEDCO.org); or The Odyssey School. (theodysseyschool.org)
‘No to ethnic cleansing’: over 350 rabbis sign US ad assailing Trump’s Gaza plan (from the Guardian)
Gaza children
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‘No to ethnic cleansing’: over 350 rabbis sign US ad assailing Trump’s Gaza plan
Jewish creatives and activists also sign New York Times ad after US president’s proposal to ‘take over Gaza’
More than 350 rabbis, alongside additional signatories including Jewish creatives and activists, have signed an ad in the New York Times in which they condemn Donald Trump’s proposal for the effective ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza.
The ad, which was signed by rabbis including Sharon Brous, Roly Matalon and Alissa Wise, as well as Jewish creatives and activists including Tony Kushner, Ilana Glazer, Naomi Klein and Joaquin Phoenix, says: “Trump has called for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza. Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing!”
The ad follows Trump’s proposal to “take over Gaza” and leave 2 million Palestinians who have survived Israel’s deadly onslaught against the narrow strip with “no alternative” but to leave their homes.
Trump has called on Jordan, Egypt and other Arab countries to take in Palestinians – a proposal that has been met with widespread criticism from Arab countries and other allies while being condemned as an ethnic-cleansing plan.
Cody Edgerly, director of the In Our Name Campaign and one of the organizers of the ad, said it came at “a critical time as political redlines that were once thought immovable are rapidly shifting as the Trump-Netanyahu alliance takes hold again”.
He said it had been “heartening to witness such a rapid outpouring of support from across the denominational and political spectrum”, adding: “Our message to Palestinians is that you are not alone, our attention has not wavered, and we are committed to fighting with every breath we have to stop ethnic cleansing in Gaza.”
Trump’s proposal – which has evoked the painful legacy of the 1948 Nakba, during which hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes by Zionist paramilitaries – was described as an “insidious plan” by rabbi Toba Spitzer.
In a news release accompanying the ad, Spitzer, senior rabbi of congregation Dorshei Tzedek in Newton, Massachusetts, said: “It is vitally important that we in the American Jewish community add our voices to all those refusing to entertain this insidious plan. Hitler’s dream of making Germany ‘Judenrein,’ ‘cleansed of Jews,’ led to the slaughter of our people.”
Peter Beinart, editor-at-large of Jewish Currents, who also signed the ad, said: “It is utterly horrifying to see the degree to which people who enjoy great legitimacy and respect in our community are willing to support something that would be considered one of the greatest crimes of the 21st century.”
Rabbi Yosef Berman of the New Synagogue Project in Washington DC said Trump “seems to believe he is God with authority to rule, own, and dominate our country and the world”.
“Jewish teaching is clear: Trump is not God and cannot take away Palestinians’ inherent dignity or steal their land for a real estate deal. Trump’s desire to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from Gaza is morally abhorrent. Jewish leaders reject Trump’s attempts to wring profit from displacement and suffering and must act to stop this heinous crime,” Berman added.
Since Hamas attacked Israel on 7 October in 2023, killing approximately 1,200 Israelis while taking 251 people hostage, Israel launched a deadly war on Gaza. Over the last 16 months, Israeli forces have killed at least 48,200 Palestinians while forcibly displacing 2 million survivors across the narrow strip amid shortages in food, medical supplies and fuel due to Israeli aid restrictions.
In an interview with Fox News’s Bret Baier at the weekend, Trump said he would “own” Gaza and said it would be a “real estate development for the future”. Asked whether Palestinians would have the right to return, Trump said: “No, they wouldn’t.”
“In the meantime, I would own this,” Trump – a former real estate developer – added, saying: “Think of it as a real estate development for the future. It would be a beautiful piece of land. No big money spent.”
The Riviera of the Middle East … Trump’s Demented Plan Gaza Real Estate Plan To Nowhere.
A Gaza boy among the bombing and destruction saving his school materials.
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“What happened in Gaza is a GENOCIDE, in which the United States was a partner. It is unacceptable for a U.S President Trump to meet with Israeli PM Netanyahu and agree to the occupation of Gaza and the expulsion of its people”
Lula da Silva, Brazilian President
Only someone stupid enough to recommend drinking bleach to cure COVID would think anyone could succeed in getting the Palestinians of Gaza to leave their land.
Linda Mamoun on X
The Gaza Strip is not a free land for anyone to grab…those days in history are gone…Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people.
Riyadh Mansour – Palestinian Representative to the United Nations
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1.
Bib and the Orange Clown are at it already coming up with a plan – actually long considered in the halls of Washington and Tel Aviv, to empty the Gaza Strip of its entire Palestinian population, sell plots of land to contractors and developers – many from Gulf Arab countries (Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Qatar) build luxury hotels and casinos, repopulate the Strip with people from “all over the world”, resettle the Palestinian population to Egypt, Jordan or who knows where ….
Hairbrained scheme par excellence – and actually far worse. Having made Gaza unlivable with the destruction of more than 90% of homes and other structures, the conditions have been created – Israel’s famous “facts on the ground” – for a full scale expulsion of its inhabitants from the world’s largest open air concentration camp. Framed in a “brutalist benign” way, Trump’s proposal is illegal but was framed to suggest Trump is doing a favor for the people in Gaza. Instead it merely sugar coats a genocide into a “harmless” ethnic cleansing campaign and turning lands that are illegally expropriated into this fabulous real estate operation. We haven’t seen anything like this so far in the 21st century
As Pepe Escobar noted:
The whole project is both mind blowing and appalling … but it’s also illegal. It assumes the U.S. can control this whole project. Will the Americans use the IDF to expel the Gaza Palestinians? And then they’ll take over everything; they grant exploitation rights to all these Arab countries and, the Riviera is going to be “an American territory”?
At a White House press conference with the Israeli prime minister sitting next to him smirking with joy, U.S. President Donald Trump “floated the idea” – as NPR put it – of ethnic cleansing the Gaza Strip of all of its 2.2 million Palestinians to other places (Egypt, Jordan) with, at some point, the United States “taking over Gaza”. When Trump comments that “we’ll (USA) own it” he’s basically suggesting a massive expropriation and inviting builders from the world over to participate. The fact that Americans don’t own that land and have no legal rights to cede anything to these construction companies is besides the point.
Kaya Kallas’ political transition – Beware the new converts
Tallinn. Summer, 2011
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While far from VERY familiar with Estonia, I did visit there twice, the first time was for the European Movement on Nuclear Disarmament conference in Tallinn, Spring of 1990 and then later, in 2011 with two Finnish friends Jorma and Mae Cedercreutz-Pesonon. (when this photo was taken). I was made aware, both visits of the deep hostility that ethnic Estonians felt for their Russian colleagues.
Still I had no idea that Estonian would turn into this bastion of anti-Russian sentiment to such an extent that it would be come something akin to “NATO’s chihuahua” and that its former prime minister, daughter of a Soviet era official and member of the Communist leadership during USSR days, would turn into – and I’m sorry to say this – a raving anti-Russian NATO lunatic, but that is how I have come to understand Kaya Kallas, now Vice President of the European Union.
Good background piece on Kallas here by Thomas Röper
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Thomas Röper: Who is the radically anti-Russian Kaja Kallas?
Former Estonian Prime Minister and current EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is one of the most radically anti-Russian women in the EU. Her story is interesting because her family belonged to the ruling elite in the Soviet Union and after the fall of communism she simply flew the flag to a new wind.
If Kaja Kallas has stood out in recent years, it is above all her radical anti-Russian stance and the horror stories she likes to tell the Western media about the suffering her family allegedly had to endure during the Soviet era. However, it is already clear that the lady does not take the truth about what she has in common with her new boss, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, very seriously.
The “Bad Years” in the Soviet Union
Ms. Kallas likes to talk about the terrible life her family supposedly had to endure under Soviet rule.
Her family, however, belonged to the political elite of the Estonian Soviet Republic; Ms. Kallas was born with a golden spoon in her mouth by Soviet standards; her family belonged to the “nomenklatura,” as it was called at the time.
Her father, Siim Kallas, joined the Communist Party in 1972 at the age of 23 and made a career in the Estonian Soviet Republic’s Ministry of Finance. By 1979, at just 31 years old, he was already a director of the board of directors of Sberbank of Estonia, the state-owned bank. In the Soviet administrative hierarchy, this corresponded to the position of deputy minister in the government of the Estonian Soviet Republic and was associated with high social status, a company car, a dacha, a nice apartment, a reasonable salary, and access to “exotic” goods that were not available to mere mortals, who were mostly denied them.
Her father, Comrade Siim Kallas, made a party career in the Soviet Union, which Kaja now describes as an “imperial” power, becoming deputy editor of the Estonian party newspaper Rahva Hääl (“Voice of the People”) in 1986 and chairman of the trade union organization of Soviet Estonia in 1989.
Kaja Kallas tries to forget these parts of her biography as much as possible, preferring to talk about how difficult it was for her to live “under the yoke of Soviet tyranny”.
Kallas was the governor of the Estonian National Bank from 1991 to 1995, founded the Estonian Reform Party, was the foreign minister from 1995 to 1996, the finance minister from 1999 to 2002, and even became the prime minister of Estonia from 2002 to 2003.
Daughter Kaja continued to grow up in wealth and privilege, as her former communist father Kallas remained part of the ruling elite in what is now a capitalist and staunchly anti-Russian Estonia.
On 1 May 2004, Papa Kallas moved to the EU and became the EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs. In the following EU Commission, he served as the commissioner for administration, audit and anti-fraud from 18 November 2004 to 9 February 2010, and in the following EU Commission, he was the commissioner for transport from 2010 onwards.
After returning to Estonia, he again became a member of parliament and deputy speaker of the parliament, before retiring from politics in 2024 for health reasons.
with Mae Cedercreutz-Pesonon in Tallinn
Canada weighs in its opinion on becoming the 51st State …
This from “The Maple” …
We (the Canadians) are dealing with a gangster state.
This week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that after chatting with United States President Donald Trump, Canada will be spared from crippling 25 per cent tariffs. For now.
In return, Trudeau re-committed to spending $1.3 billion on a previously crafted “border plan,” and announced the creation of a new “Fentanyl Czar” and “Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force.”
By now, many of us are familiar with the statistics showing the relatively tiny quantities of fentanyl that enter the U.S. from Canada.
This isn’t about fentanyl — or migration.
But entertaining Trump’s ever-changing demands, even with symbolic measures, sets a dangerous precedent.
When the 30-day reprieve expires, don’t be surprised if Trump slaps down a new set of ridiculous demands, followed by another delay if Canada obeys. And so on, with the threat of tariffs — and annexation — constantly repeated.
As Sam Gindin recently warned in an interview with The Maple, “in exchange for a return to the previous tariff status quo, Canada will accept all kinds of policies the American administration has no business dictating to us.”
What it was about in the first place: As Sam Gindin recently warned in an interview with The Maple, “in exchange for a return to the previous tariff status quo, Canada will accept all kinds of policies the American administration has no business dictating to us.”
The Maple•Adam D.K. KingWhat is Trump’s larger game? Journalist Ryan Grim, writing for Drop Site, recently examined the possibility that Trump is pivoting the U.S. away from its status as a global hegemon towards being a more “regional power.”In that context, Grim writes, “Trump’s belligerence toward Greenland and Canada, for example, appears more like an empire stepping back from the world stage and building trenches closer to home.”
The article was written before Trump openly mused about ethnically cleansing and occupying Gaza, where former U.S. president Joe Biden before him supported Israel’s genocide to the hilt (with support from Canada). Whatever Trump’s larger plans may be, if there are any, the U.S. remains a global menace.
As we have explored in another recent article at The Maple, America’s erosion of Canadian sovereignty through free trade agreements has been underway for decades.
The Maple•Emma PalingIf we close our eyes for long enough, they seem to imagine, perhaps we’ll wake up in a world where the very agreements that paved the way for Canada’s dangerous dependency on the U.S. are refreshed anew.
In every aspect, the current government seems incapable of thinking about the world in a way that grasps the radically changing realities before us.
Kazerooni and Prince: Trump’s Middle East Policy – From Gaza Ceasefire to “the Riviera of the Middle East” – Weird
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressing Trump
Museum of Anthropology. Mexico City. June, 1981
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Poor Mexico! So far from God; so close to the United States
Quote attributed to Porfirio Diaz
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum addressing Trump:
“So, you voted to build a wall… Well, dear Americans, even if you don’t understand much about geography, since America is your country and not a continent for you, it is important that you discover, before laying the first bricks, that there are, outside this wall: 7 billion people.
But since you don’t really know the term “people,” we will call them “consumers.” There are 7 billion consumers who are ready to replace their iPhones with Samsung or Huawei in less than 42 hours.
They can also replace Levi’s with Zara or Massimo Duti.
In less than six months, we could easily stop buying Ford or Chevrolet and replace them with Toyota, KIA, Mazda, Honda, Hyundai, Volvo, Subaru, Renault or BMW, which are technically better than the cars you produce.
These 7 billion people can also stop subscribing to Direct TV, we don’t want to, but we can stop watching Hollywood movies and start watching more Latin American or European productions that have better quality, message, cinematic techniques and content.
As incredible as it may seem, we can skip Disney and go to Xcaret Park in Cancun, Mexico, Canada or Europe: there are other excellent destinations in South America, the East and Europe.
And even if you don’t believe it, even in Mexico there is a better hamburger than McDonald’s and with a better nutritional content.
Has anyone seen pyramids in the United States? In Egypt, Mexico, Peru, Guatemala, Sudan and other countries, there are pyramids with incredible cultures.
Discover where the wonders of the ancient and modern world are … None of them are in the United States … Too bad for Trump, he would buy them and sell them!
We know that Adidas exists and not just Nike and we can start consuming Mexican tennis shoes like Panam. We know more than you think.
We know, for example, that if these 7 billion consumers do not buy their products, there will be unemployment and their economy will collapse (within the racist wall) to the point that they will beg us to tear down the damned wall. We did not want that, but… you wanted a wall, you will get a wall.
Sincerely. »
Steigan.no: Africa breaks ties with France
Africa breaks ties with France
France has withdrawn from more than 70% of the African countries where it has deployed troops since the end of colonial rule in the 1960s.
Chad has announced a complete withdrawal of 1,000 French soldiers from its territory. What other African nations have ended France’s draining military presence?
- Mali: In May 2022, the country ended its defense agreement with Paris, and the exit of 2,400 French soldiers was completed by December 2023.
- Burkina Faso: In February 2023, the country ordered around 400 French troops to leave within a month.
- Niger: After the military coup on July 26, 2023, which had broad support from the Nigerian population, France withdrew 1500 soldiers in December 2023.
- Central African Republic: In December 2022, a contingent of 130 French troops pulled out of the country.
- Chad: In January, France closed its military base in Chad. This withdrawal means that for the first time in more than 100 years, France no longer has a military presence in the Sahel region of Africa.
https://x.com/Tydeturn/status/1885927034393915531/photo/1
Where is France expected to pull out next?
Senegal: The westernmost country in West Africa announced in November 2024 that France “should” close its military bases (home to 350 soldiers) by the end of 2025.
Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire): A French contingent of 600-1000 soldiers was ordered to withdraw by the end of January 2025.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GiuRH3NakAAvxNE?format=jpg&name=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GitgzVIaUAA1Qxn?format=jpg&name=360×360
Welcome to Colorado Abdul Aziz!
Abdul Aziz and his uncle at Denver International Airport
His name is Abdul Aziz, a teenager from Gaza who lost his right leg in one of the Israeli bombing. His uncle, whom I happened to gbe standing next to related how it took him twenty years of work here in the USA to be able to build a house for his family back in Gaza. Finished recently it was turned to rubble by an Israeli bombing.
There were 250 people – maybe more – to greet him as walking with two canes, he exited the International Flight Exit at Denver International Airport on a flight on Turkish Airlines that started in Kabul, Afghanistan, picked up Abdul Aziz in Istanbul and flew him to Denver. The Colorado Palestine Coalition members came out in force as did many members of the Colorado Palestine Community and supporters like myself.
We didn’t know what to expect on seeing such a crowd to greet him, to embrace him with love, affection, respect, many bearing gifts of food, flowers and other things. He has come to Colorado to get a prosthetic leg to replace the one the Israeli Defense Force had stripped him of in a bombing. On seeing the crowd as he exited the International Flight Exit Abdul Aziz broke out in a broad smile. He hugged his uncle and waved to the crowd.
Most of us were in tears. Cheers went up as the crowd cheered “Welcome to Colorado Abdul Azis!” “Free, free Palestine.” A youngish man standing next to me spoke of the great resilience of the Palestinian people, a comment to which I wholeheartedly agreed. See the spirit of the people of Gaza in his face.
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Palestinian family in Colorado welcomes teen who lost leg in Israeli bombing of Gaza
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“A Book of the Blockade” by Ales Adamovich and Daniel Granin (Raduga Publishers, Moscow. 1982)
A few days ago, on January 27, 2025, marks the 81st anniversary of the lifting of the Nazi blockade of Leningrad. “The siege was the most destructive in history and possibly the most deadly, causing an estimated 1.5 million deaths. It was not classified as a war crime at the time,[12] but some historians have since classified it as a genocide due to the intentional destruction of the city and the systematic starvation of its civilian population.[“
What to do with Hitler after the war? This question was asked by Leningrader, Georgi Knyazev, in the midst of the 900 day Nazi siege on the city where he lived and worked as an archivist.
Similar questions are being asked about the fate of Israeli Prime Minister, Netanyahu.
Diaries from the Siege and Blockade of Leningrad during World War II have been collected, along with commentary in a volume, “A Book of the Blockade” by Ales Adamovich and Daniel Granin (Raduga Publishers, Moscow. 1982). Here is one selection (pp 242-3) by archivist, Georgi Knyazev, whose diary remained after its author was killed during the war.
I am reminded of similar contemporary discussions concerning the ultimate fate of Binyamin Netanyahu, main architect with his U.S. backers of the current Gaza genocide. Replace Hitler’s name with that of Netanyahu, both “names with stench”…
He writes in May of 1941 when the Leningrad siege by the Nazis was in its early days.
“… What do I, a humanist, dream of now? About this (an illustration in a newspaper of Nazi devastation in the Soviet Union in the early days of Operation Barbarossa). `In response to the threat of a German invasion the people of London have erected a gallows by the ruins of a bombed house, with a notice saying: “Ready for Hitler”.’
“We shouldn’t hang him straightaway, but first put him on trial. Summon representatives of every country ravaged by Hitler – men and women from places that have suffered particularly – as members of the jury. Gather documents and examples from the abundant “material evidence’ of the savage cruelty of Hitler and his henchmen. Use these
relics' to create amuseum of horrors and suffering’ for the edification of posterity, to show people of the future the terrifying atrocities perpetrated by the bestial invaders. Bring together in this museum Hitler’s forerunners, too – international murders and plunderers, successful and unsuccessful, such as Napoleon, Wilhelm, Tamerlane and Attila, and many other notorious figures in the so-called world history of mankind, or rather the history of pre-human society… Or, perhaps, not even among the gang of `greats’, but simply in the ranks of such filthy wretches ans Cain, Herod and Judas there’s a place for Hitler, who is held in contempt by the whole world.A name with stench.
In preparing their now 18 year siege of Gaza, did the Israelis study – down to the last detail – how the Nazis hoped to destroy Leningrad? I am convinced there is a historic connection between the two.
The parallels are striking between the Nazi (and Finnish) blockade of Leningrad – the 900 days as Harrison Salisbury called it – with Israel’s genocidal war against Gaza. Both were efforts of mass extermination using a combination of intense bombing and starvation as a way exterminate the civilian populations of Leningrad (today’s St. Petersburg) an the Gaza Strip. The German high command had calculated down to the last calorie, what it would take to starve the city into complete collapse. The Israeli government whose blockade of Gaza is now 18 years old have done likewise. In some ways I would argue, the siege of Gaza is even more obscene, more vicious than that of Leningrad.
Militarization of the Nordic Countries and the Great Northern War 2.0 by Glenn Diesen
circled areas of Finland are where Finland has agreed to establish U.S. military bases. The pretext will most likely be the concern that Russia will want to seize part of Lapland in the north of Finland. It will make no sense whatsoever, but obedient media will drum up the required fear.
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(Note: Although the formal title of the article is”Militarization of Scandinavia” … but Finland is not a Scandinavian country. The term “Nordic country” is more accurate.
I follow developments in the Nordic countries or try to. Some of the best stuff on the dramatic strategic changes in the region are written and discussed by Glenn Diesen, a prof from Norway. I was gong to wrte something up on the region’s militarization when I saw this piece which says what needs to be said as well or better than I can and there is a good deal of relevant history not generally available. )
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Finland was perhaps the greatest success story of neutrality, yet it was converted into NATO’s longest frontline against Russia. There was no threat to Finland, yet expansion was framed as being a blow to Putin as an objective on its own. Foreign military deployments will predictably soon emerge in the north of Finland to threaten Russia’s Northern Fleet in Arkhangelsk. The pretext will most likely be the concern that Russia will want to seize part of Lapland in the north of Finland. It will make no sense whatsoever, but obedient media will drum up the required fear.
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Militarization of Scandinavia and the Great Northern War 2.0 by Glenn Diesen
01 – 29 – 2025
The militarization of Scandinavia will drastically undermine the security of the region and invite new conflicts as Russia will be compelled to respond to what could become an existential threat. Norway has decided to host at least 12 US military bases on its soil, while Finland and Sweden follow suit by transferring sovereign control over parts of their territory after they recently became NATO members. Infrastructure will be built to bring US troops faster to Russian borders, while the Baltic Sea and to a lesser extent the Arctic will be converted into NATO seas.
As Scandinavia is converted from a region of peace to a US frontline, one would expect more debate about this historical shift. Yet, the political-media elites have already reached the consensus that expanding NATO enhances our security due to greater military force and deterrence. More weapons rarely result in more peace, although this is the logic of hegemonic peace that this generation of politicians has committed themselves to.
The point of departure in security politics is the security competition. If increasing the security of country A decreases the security of country B, then country B will likely be compelled to enhance its security in a manner that reduces security for country A. The security competition can be mitigated by deterring the adversary without provoking a response, which is ideally organised through an inclusive security architecture.
Scandinavia’s ability to be a region of peace relied on mastering the deterrence/reassurance balance. Finland and Sweden were neutral states as an important part of the belt of neutral states from the north to the south of Europe during the Cold War, which contributed to reducing tensions. Norway was a NATO member but imposed restrictions on itself by not hosting foreign military bases on its soil and limiting the military activities of allies in the Arctic region. It was common sense that security derived from deterring the Soviets without provoking them. This common sense is now long gone. Read more…
How Trump’s Executive Orders Adversely Effect Native American Populations by Dr. Charles Cambridge
Native Americans holding up the continent
These are only a few of Trump’s anti-Indian policies.
• Thousands of Indians will lose their jobs if educational and administrative programs are terminated.
• All Indian language and cultural teachers and support staff will lose their positions.
• All tribal colleges will lose federal funding.
• Many Indian non-profits will lose funding and will need to terminate their programs.
• All environmental tribal agencies will end unless tribal financing is available.
• I’m waiting for Trump to attack Indian casinos and tribal sovereignty.
I would advise tribes to reduce funding of programs and to save their tribal funds until the full impact of Trump’s anti-policies is known. Tribes should also impose hiring freezes.
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This executive order revokes … actions and orders rolled out during the Biden Administration, intending to repair institutions and improve the economy under the policy plans of the Trump Administration.
Policy Rescissions:
Executive Order 13985 of Jan. 20, 2021 (Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government) – Established government-wide initiatives to promote equity and address systemic barriers in federal policies and programs
Executive Order 14035 of June 25, 2021 (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce) – Established policies to promote a diverse workforce in federal workplaces
Executive Order 14049 of Oct. 11, 2021 (White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities) – Promoted equity, educational excellence and economic opportunity for Native Americans while supporting Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs)
Executive Order 14091 of Feb. 16, 2023 (Further Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government) – Sought to continue the government’s commitment to racial equity and support for underserved communities, with an emphasis on ensuring that federal policies and programs work to dismantle systemic inequities
Executive Order 13995 of Jan. 21, 2021 (Ensuring an Equitable Pandemic Response and Recovery) – Ensured the federal government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was equitable, prioritizing the needs of historically under-served communities that were disproportionately affected by the pandemic
Executive Order 13997 of Jan. 21, 2021 (Improving and Expanding Access to Care and Treatments for COVID-19) – Improved access to medical care and treatments for individuals affected by COVID-19, particularly through expanding access to testing, vaccines, treatments and healthcare services across the U.S.
Executive Order 14000 of Jan. 21, 2021 (Supporting the Reopening and Continuing Operation of Schools and Early Childhood Education Providers) – Supported the safe reopening and continued operation of K-12 schools, childcare centers and early childhood education providers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Executive Order 14009 of Jan. 28, 2021 (Strengthening Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act) – Sought to expand access to healthcare and strengthen the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Medicaid programs, which provided critical healthcare coverage; aimed to improve access to affordable healthcare, especially in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic
Executive Order 14070 of April 5, 2022 (Continuing To Strengthen Americans’ Access to Affordable, Quality Health Coverage) – Expanded access to affordable healthcare coverage, building on previous efforts to strengthen the ACA and Medicaid; sought to prioritize efforts in under served communities and provide access to high-quality care at affordable prices
Executive Order 14029 of May 14, 2021 (Revocation of Certain Presidential Actions and Technical Amendment) – Revoked several executive actions taken by the previous administration under President Donald Trump, which were seen as harmful to the interests of the U.S., particularly in terms of the environment, national security and public health
Executive Order 14044 of Sept. 13, 2021 (Amending Executive Order 14007) – Amended Executive Order 14007, which had been signed on Feb. 27, 2021, and related to the creation of the White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC) and the Environmental Justice Interagency Council (EJ Council); sought to strengthen the framework for advancing environmental justice in the U.S. by addressing the disproportionate environmental burdens faced by low-income communities and communities of color
Executive Order 13990 of Jan. 20, 2021 (Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis) – Reversed the first Trump Administration’s environmental rollbacks; emphasized the need to restore science-based decision-making, protect public health and take immediate action to combat climate change
Executive Order 14019 of March 7, 2021 (Promoting Access to Voting) – Sought to make it easier for all eligible Americans to vote by improving access to voter registration, encouraging participation and addressing barriers that some individuals may face when attempting to vote, particularly those from historically under served communities
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Charles Cambridge ( PhD , University of Colorado) is a 4/4 enrolled member of the Navaho Tribe in the Southwest United States. He is Bitahnii (mother’s clan), born for Taneezahnii (father’s clan), maternal grandfather is Todischiinii, and paternal grandfather’s clan is Totsohnii.
Cambridge conceptualized the Solar Hogan in the 1960s. In 1989, he and Dennis Holloway, Architect received international recognition for their experiments in appropriate technology and traditional architectural designs through the “Colorado Solar Hogan Project” at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Cambridge has conducted research on AIDS and its spread among American Indian populations, and its impact upon the cultural traditions of American Indian Tribes. During the summer for more than twenty years, he has led teams of American and International volunteers to help traditional native people with physical and traditional chores in the western United States including Hawaii, Canada and Belize. He was a founding member of Association of Mutant Anthropologists and Engineers Without Borders. For several years, he served on the Finance Committee of the American Anthropological Association. The U.S. Federal Court views Dr. Cambridge as an expert in Anthropology, Archaeology, American Indian Culture, American Indian Religion, and History. Dr. Cambridge is a professional practicing archaeologist and has served as an adjunct faculty in several institutions of higher learning. Recently, he completed a consultancy with Netflix’s TV series “Chambers.”
Since my Netflix consultancy, I have assisted several writers, producers, etc. with scripts and storylines. This has been quite interesting.
Genealogy Stuff – Magaziners, Burwicks, Wychevskys – My mother’s side of the family.
The mystery in this 1948 photo of the Magazine siblings and their partners – the two seated on the lower left. The man seated far right with the slightly protruding ears, David Levine and I believe to be Harry Burwick. He is David’s maternal grandfather and we are pretty sure, Grandma Sarah Wishensky Magaziner’s brother. One of he siblings. How many other siblings did Sarah Magaziner and Harry Burwick have?
Notes on a Zoom (like) discussion with (I believe) second cousin David Levine
David Levine and I believe we have uncovered one piece of the puzzle through comparing matching photos. The mystery in this above 1948 photo of the Magazine siblings and their partners – the two seated on the lower left. All the rest most of my remaining cousins can easily identify.
Levine showed me a photo of his maternal grandfather, Harry Burwick, who looks very much like the man seated far right in this group photo with the slightly protruding ears. He appears to be wearing the same gray suit in the photo David Levine showed me. For myself, this constitutes a match.
Harry Burwick is Grandma Sarah Wishensky Magaziner’s brother, one of her siblings.
How many other siblings did Sarah Magaziner and Harry Burwick have?
1.
Sometime in December of last year (2024). a David Levine from San Diego contacted me by email. He had been reading my blog, particularly the articles on family history and thought we might be related, the connection being on my mother’s extensive side of the family. He recalls that at his Bar Mitzvah in central Massachusetts in the late 1980s that an “Aunt Bea” and her sister “Aunt Mal” from New York City were in attendance along with a young teenage girl – perhaps one of my two sisters although neither of them have any memory of having gone to a Massachusetts bar mitzvah at that time.
There was also the family name on his mother’s side – Burwick, his grandfather having been one Harry Burwick and that the family name Wychevsky (many spellings) came up. Our maternal grandfather was a Wychevsky and it is a name that is a part of our family history although the precise connections have been lost.
At the time David Levine contacted me I was in the midst of radiation treatments – twenty over a four week period – for prostate cancer. While the treatment itself was painless the after effects were not. Among other side effects, radiation resulted in constant fatigue and even foggier thinking than I am used to. I suggested to contact me again sometime in January 2025 after the effects of the treatment had subsided.
This he did by email about a week ago (on Friday, January 17, 2025). The meeting lasted an hour and a half. Before going into the details- those I can remember of the discussion which did produce some connections which still need further substantiation, some brief information about David Levine from our conversation.
Although he and his wife now live in Southern California, David Levine grew up in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, went to Brandeis University; like me he started college as a pre-med major but switched – in his case – to economics if I recall right. He got a Masters’ degree, worked for a while at the major security think tank, the RAND Corporation before working in a number of financial institutions, eventually becoming a financial planner before retiring. Levine’s wife is key to his genealogical researches it appears; That and his own admirable persistence, tenacity and care – I might add – have helped fuel his efforts.
2.
Having run into certain roadblocks in my own genealogical ventures, and having uncovered some interesting history of bod sides of our family (Prenskys and Magaziners), soon thereafter “the well dried up” a few years ago until David contacted me. Our connection has rekindled my interest to “reopen the file” and explore some more.
What are the methodological problems with the Prensky-Magaziner research?
The main problem is simple and clear cut and it is this: our Magaziner grandparents – both Grandfather Julius (d. 1924) and Grandmother Sarah (d. 1947) had a lot of siblings – almost all of which are lost to me. Finding and identifying them has not been possible to date although there are a host of last names on this side of our history: Magaziner, Magazine, Burwick, Wychevsky, Landsman. But precisely how that mix is connected remains unclear.
3.
What were the pieces of the genealogical puzzle that David Levine shared with me? What could I share with him? If you are interested in learning more details, respond to this email. I understand that some of you are completely uninterested in family history, think that you are all “self-made” people for whom family history is tedious, if not irrelevant to your situation, that we/you do not stand on the shoulders of those who preceded us. For those of you who are so inclined, I have neither the time nor the patience to convince you otherwise. Continue in your ignorance, enjoy the illusion of your self-made existence and success and that your family history has no bearing – none – on the people you have become.
For the rest of you, those who want to know more about the maze of connections between Magaziners, Burwicks, Wychenskis, etc – all you have to do is send me an email with the words “I am in” – and we’ll put together a little group email and see if we can dig up some more of these connections – our connections to our past and to each other.
David Levine and I believe we have uncovered one piece of the puzzle through comparing matching photos. The mystery in this above 1948 photo of the Magazine siblings and their partners – the two seated on the lower left. All the rest most of my remaining cousins can easily identify. Levine showed me a photo of his maternal grandfather, Harry Burwick who looks very much like the man seated far right in this group photo with the slightly protruding ears; Harry Burwick. He appears to be wearing the same gray suit in the photo David Levine showed me.
He is Grandma Sarah Wishensky Magaziner’s brother, one of her siblings.
How many other siblings did Sarah Magaziner and Harry Burwick have? Julius Magaziner also had siblings. We need to probe his family lines too.
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View from the Left Bank: Rob Prince's Blog 