Each day at just after midnight Eastern, a post like this one is created for contributors and readers of this site to upload news links and video links on the issues that concern this site. Most notably, Islam and its effects on Classical Civilization, and various forms of leftism from Soviet era communism, to postmodernism and all the flavours of galloping statism and totalitarianism such as Nazism and Fascism which are increasingly snuffing out the classical liberalism which created our near, miraculous civilization the West has been building since the time of Socrates.
This document was written around the time this site was created, for those who wish to understand what this site is about. And while our understanding of the world and events has grown since then, the basic ideas remain sound and true to the purpose.
So please post all links, thoughts and ideas that you feel will benefit the readers of this site to the comments under this post each day. And thank you all for your contributions.
This is the new Samizdat. We must use it while we can.
For those interested, please check out https://vladtepesblog.substack.com/ as an another avenue of expression. The Substack is a different project in a sense. It is older videos that in the light of subsequent events, look different or of increased importance, Check it out now and again if you like.
House Select Committee on Coronavirus Releases Report on Social Distancing, COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic released a final report regarding its two-year investigation into social distancing, masking, and the COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
…
The report from the committee noted that during a June 2024 public hearing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, had articulated “that the six-foot rule for social distancing was not supported by quality scientific standards” and had “attempted to further distance himself from the issue by stating the decision making of this policy implementation was the responsibility of the CDC.”
The committee’s report adds:
The justification for one of the most impactful COVID-19 policies, that arguable affected the most Americans in their day-to-day lives, was “it sort of just appeared.” There were no scientific trials or studies conducted before this policy was implemented, there appeared to be no pushback or internal discussion amongst the highest level of leadership, and more importantly there appears to be no acceptance of responsibility. That is an unacceptable aanswer from public health leadership. Decisions of this magnitude must have scientific backing that can be explained to the American public.
…
The report also noted that COVID-19 “vaccine mandates were not supported by science and caused more harm than good”:
…
Although all five of the major federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates are now rescinded, overturned, or otherwise ended, their consequences will live on for years to come. The COVID-19 vaccine mandates caused people to lose their livelihoods, hollowed out our healthcare and education workforces, reduced our military readiness and recruitment, caused vaccine hesitancy, reduced trust in public health, trampled individual freedoms, deepened political divisions, and interered in the patient-physician relationship.
Aside from these severe consequences, the scientific basis of the COVID-19 vaccine mandates was highly questionable.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2024/12/02/house-select-committee-report-social-distancing-covid-19-vaccine-mandates/
IRS Whistleblower: ‘Clear That Joe Biden Was Involved’ in Hunter’s Dealings
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2024/12/02/irs-whistleblower-clear-that-joe-biden-was-involved-in-hunters-dealings/
The mentality that wants to lower the fighting age despite the cause being clearly lost. Despite the mass culling of young men. Led by a perverted, stunted, green puppet actor. The mentality that disregards all human life except its own. That is willing to risk the lives of all life on the planet for the purpose of hellbent, narcissistic world domination.
Do we not see the same mentality in the perpetrators of the plandemic and the experimental mRNA poisonous injections? Is this two cabals, or one?
https://libertarianinstitute.org/news/as-many-as-200000-ukrainian-soldiers-have-deserted/
The last time I checked the draft age in the US starts at 18 and continues to 45 unless you are a veteran then it extends to 55.
Young men make the best soldiers because they can’t conceive of their own death.
Yes, of course, I understand. Canada is the same from what I understand. Why is their age so high now? I just think fighting to the last Ukrainian is wrong.
Depends on who is making the decisions and why the decisions are being made, in this case I agree with you it is wrong but it is also wrong to condemn them for what we are all doing.
Every centimeter of that fertile land has been drenched in blood and contaminated with ashes. The only place I visited was Odessa; the winds of the Black Sea felt cleansing.
I won’t eat foods with ingredients grown in certain regions. When I buy grocery items at the Russian store, I read the labels carefully.
The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away.
Blessed be the Name of the Lord.
Kentucky and Tennessee use to be called “That Dark and Bloody Ground” the same could be said about Ukraine.
(Richard: When you hear Dems talk about positions being non political they are saying that they have one of their people in the position and don’t want that person removed.)
‘Dumb’ Democrat Sen. Durbin Defends Deep State Ally — Claims Trump ‘Can’t Fire FBI Director Wray’ Before 2027
thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/chairman-senate-judiciary-committee-sen-durbin-defends-deep/
Dec. 3, 2024 7:45 am
Senator Dick Durbin
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), the Senate Majority Whip and Chair of the Judiciary Committee, has defended FBI Director Christopher Wray, asserting that President Trump lacks the authority to replace Wray before his term expires in 2027.
Durbin, echoing the talking points of the Democratic establishment, lambasted Trump’s decision to nominate Kash Patel to lead the FBI. Patel, a staunch advocate for accountability and one of the key figures in exposing the Russia collusion hoax, has become a target of left-wing attacks precisely because of his track record of confronting corruption.
On Saturday, Trump announced his intention to replace current FBI Director Christopher Wray. Trump praised Patel as a “brilliant lawyer” and a staunch defender of justice, poised to tackle America’s crime and corruption.
Trump wrote on Truth Social:
“I am proud to announce that Kashyap “Kash” Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and “America First” fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People. He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.
Kash did an incredible job during my First Term, where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense, Deputy Director of National Intelligence, and Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council.
Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials. This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border. Kash will work under our great Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to bring back Fidelity, Bravery, and Integrity to the FBI.”
However, Durbin insists that Wray should remain in his position until the end of his designated term, despite clear precedents and the President’s constitutional authority to make changes within the executive branch.
“We already have a FBI Director, and his term doesn’t expire until 2027. Donald Trump can’t be allowed to hire and fire FBI Directors just because they failed his loyalty test,” said Durbin in a statement.
“President Biden kept Director Wray in office because the FBI is supposed to be insulated from partisanship. Now, the president-elect wants to replace his own appointee with an unqualified loyalist,” Durbin added.
“The Senate should reject this unprecedented effort to weaponize the FBI for the campaign of retribution that Donald Trump has promised.”
Screenshot: Durbin tweet
The FBI Director, a key executive branch position, is appointed to a 10-year term to ensure the bureau’s independence from political influence. However, the President has the power to dismiss the director at any time.
Examples of Presidential Removal:
Bill Clinton (1993): Fired FBI Director William Sessions over ethical concerns and alleged misuse of government resources.
Donald Trump (2017): Fired FBI Director James Comey, citing dissatisfaction with Comey’s handling of the investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails and the Russia investigation.
Durbin’s claim that Trump cannot fire Wray is not only baseless but a concerning ignorance of constitutional law. The President possesses the power to appoint and remove executive officials as outlined in Article II of the Constitution.
Relevant Provisions in the Constitution:
Article II, Section 1:
“The executive power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
This vests the President with overall authority over the executive branch, which includes the FBI, a component of the Department of Justice.
Article II, Section 3:
The President must “take care that the laws be faithfully executed.”
As head of the executive branch, the President is responsible for overseeing federal agencies, including the FBI.
Appointment Power (Article II, Section 2):
The President appoints “officers of the United States,” with Senate confirmation. By extension, this authority includes the power to remove those officers unless restricted by law.
The backlash was swift and brutal. The internet erupted, blasting Durbin for what many called a “dumb” statement.
This may be the dumbest tweet on X this year.
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) December 2, 2024
I told you democrats were dumb. This post proves my point.
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) December 2, 2024
For a Senator, you’re wildly ignorant of the Constitutional authority of the President. In short, he can most definitely fire him. I think we need to apply a civics test for incoming Senators to make sure you morons understand the Constitution before taking office.
— Military Arms (@MAC_Arms) December 2, 2024
Not knowing that Trump can replace the FBI director is proof that you are unqualified for the seat that you hold.
Too bad we can’t fire you for doing a poor job now.
— Bad Kitty Unleashed (@pepesgrandma) December 2, 2024
They “Serve at the Presidents will”.
Read the Constitution.
— Gary Campbell (@souperfan2012) December 2, 2024
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/chairman-senate-judiciary-committee-sen-durbin-defends-deep/
Truth Details
5509 replies
Avatar
Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
Everybody is talking about the hostages who are being held so violently, inhumanely, and against the will of the entire World, in the Middle East – But it’s all talk, and no action! Please let this TRUTH serve to represent that if the hostages are not released prior to January 20, 2025, the date that I proudly assume Office as President of the United States, there will be ALL HELL TO PAY in the Middle East, and for those in charge who perpetrated these atrocities against Humanity. Those responsible will be hit harder than anybody has been hit in the long and storied History of the United States of America. RELEASE THE HOSTAGES NOW!
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113584730902816413
PT said he thinks most of the hostages are dead. No doubt he knows more than most of us. And he won’t look away.
This reservist speaks for a lot of us:
“While soldiers are fighting and dying, they don’t feel that the politicians are with them and take the war seriously. This distrust extends to the opposition as well.
“With many of the same actors that were involved in the anti-reform camp pushing for hostage deals at varying costs, many soldiers have expressed to me that they can’t help but wonder if they are motivated by the good of the nation or their own political agendas.”
“An IDF reservist’s top ten takeaways after returning from Gaza”
https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/article-831531
No he won’t look away, and he won’t back down, he knows the troops and knows how they feel, that is why he choose Pete to be DOD Sec. I know that when the time comes he will hit hard, accurately and repeat the attack as many times as is necessary. Biden and Obama have a lot of blood on their hands, blood that will never be washed away.
Liberman: We have until Jan. 20 to deliver devastating blow to Iran
2 December 2024, 3:11 pm
4
Yisrael Beytenu party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on December 2, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Yisrael Beytenu party chairman MK Avigdor Liberman leads a faction meeting at the Knesset on December 2, 2024. (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)
Yisrael Beytenu leader MK Avigdor Liberman urges the government to stop dithering and act strongly against Iran, saying Israel needs to move before US President-elect Donald Trump takes office.
“What we are seeing now is again deliberations, hesitations on Iran,” Liberman says at a meeting of his faction in the Knesset. “As I said before and say again, this is the last chance. We have a window until January 20 to land a devastating blow on Iran.”
Liberman also criticizes the ceasefire in Lebanon, saying that it is insufficient and will only allow Hezbollah time to regroup before the next war in five or six years.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/liberman-we-have-until-jan-20-to-deliver-devastating-blow-to-iran/
He just wants to take Bibi’s place.
His constituency used to be automatic: fellow emigres from the former USSR. Since many – most? – had little exposure to religion, some felt estranged from the majority of Israelis. People of all faiths there are more observant than “enlightened” Westerners.
Without realizing it, these Russians absorbed the ever-present hatred for the Eternal Jooo. The Putin era has been a fluke, but savage hatred simmers just beneath the tolerance level.
Not all of them were members of the Tribe anyway. Israeli law extends citizenship to spouses and immediate family of anyone claiming one jooo-ish grandparent. If they so choose, they can get in touch with Christianity or Bahai or whatever via missionaries in the Holy Land.
Many – most? – used Israel as a way station to Germany, Canada, or the USA. Or all of them in sequence. (The Jewish Agency had already paid their expenses.)
Liberman tapped into this voter pool. He detests the ultra-orthodox. He campaigns against religious holidays as an imposition on secular Israelis.
Thing is, the generation after his, born or raised in Israel, is integrated. They don’t have the same hang-ups. That’s what happens. Liberman’s base has shrunk.
He’s called farrr rrright-wing: a Russian doesn’t mess around; kill the killers, fight wars to win!
That’s why he’s invited to join Likud or center-right coalitions. But he ’s so jealous of Bibi he mostly prefers to remain in the Knesset as opposition. He can indulge in full-throated trash talk and the leftist media gives him a megaphone.
NY Democrat’s ‘Outside the Box Thinking’ Has Unintended Consequences – for Her
Ammoland Inc. Posted on December 3, 2024 by David Codrea
By endorsing Liz Krueger, New York gun prohibitionists are rejecting more than the Second Amendment. (New Yorkers Against Gun Violence/Instagram)
“NY Democrats Mull Secession Over Immigration Dispute,” iHeart Radio reported Wednesday. “In response to President-elect Trump’s immigration plans, some New York Democratic legislators are considering secession from the United States.
“State Senator Liz Krueger has proposed the idea of New York becoming a new province of Canada, arguing that this move could alleviate Canada’s burden of enforcing illegal border crossings,” the article explains, quoting Kreuger’s assertion that “It’s not unreasonable to think outside of the box.”
In other words, she – and everyone who believes in her enough to vote for her – think it’s not unreasonable to reject every terrible sacrifice that made American unique and great, and return to the king. We settled that question two-and-a-half centuries ago with a revolution unlike any the world had ever seen: a revolution in the concept of government by “We the People” instead of by a monarch.
As Thomas Paine observed:
“The idea of hereditary legislators is as inconsistent as that of hereditary judges, or hereditary juries; and as absurd as an hereditary mathematician, or an hereditary wise man; and as ridiculous as an hereditary poet laureate.”
So, it figures that an Opposite Day “progressive” like Krueger advances the inconsistent, absurd, and ridiculous argument of returning to a system that was rejected two-and-a-half centuries ago. Once again, Democrat “forward thinking” reveals itself to be a great leap backward into tyranny. (And yes, Canada is devolving into one, with heavy-handed government extortion on guns, on speech, and on social norms.)
Krueger is – forget “spitting” – defecating on the graves of every New Yorker and every American who gave their all to establish and defend the Republic she rejects. That’s what she considers “not unreasonable.”
But there are unintended consequences for New York’s aspiring Canadians that could very well have never entered their collective hive minds.
If her oath to the Constitution is no longer in effect, then Krueger has disqualified herself from holding office. Per Article. VI. of the Constitution:
“[A]ll executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution.”
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL DOWN TO CONTINUE READING
Here’s what she freely pledged:
“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the constitution of the United States, and the constitution of the State of New York, and that I will faithfully discharge the duties of the office of ……, according to the best of my ability.”
This is what she’s willing to betray to abet foreign nationals illegally entering the country in violation of duly (and democratically!) enacted laws. And note the Constitution doesn’t just say that executive officers have to take the oath—it says they are “BOUND” by it. That means once she volitionally “unbinds” herself, she’s in violation of a non-negotiable requirement and must be removed from office.
Additionally, as a comment on my The War on Guns blog notes:
18 U.S.C. §2383: “Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.”
There’s another “legal” consequence if Krueger and fellow travelers renounce their citizenship and opt to become Canadian. If they do, they will have disqualified themselves from owning a gun.
Per ATF:
“Identify Prohibited Persons: The Gun Control Act (GCA), codified at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), makes it unlawful for certain categories of persons to ship, transport, receive, or possess firearms or ammunition, to include any person… who has renounced his or her United States citizenship;”
By embracing citizen disarmament, the phony egalitarians have rejected the Second Amendment, the most equitable power-sharing arrangement ever devised, and by renouncing their citizenship, are hoisted with their own petard. At least it ought to make being a Canadian easier for them.
But here’s the thing—they can leave, but the land stays here. With fewer swarms of radical Democrats to harass its people and eat out their substance, New York ought to become a pretty nice place to live again.
And this just in: After, and only after, being roundly ridiculed, a face-saving Krueger is now saying her proposal was only “a joke, of course,” She then immediately doubled down on her bitterness over “democracy” in the national election restraining New York Democrat control. In a way she’s right, though, her proposals are a joke, but the people rejecting them aren’t laughing with her…
https://www.ammoland.com/2024/12/ny-democrats-outside-the-box-thinking-has-unintended-consequences-for-her/
Biden Lied About Hunter’s Pardon; He’s Had Lots of Practice
Ammoland Inc. Posted on December 2, 2024 by Dave Workman
Joe Biden IMG whitehouse-gov
On his way out the door, President Joe Biden has pardoned his son, Hunter, which he said repeatedly he would not do. Joe Biden IMG whitehouse-gov
Six months after telling the nation he would not pardon his son, President Joe Biden did exactly that, and reaction from the firearms community is overwhelmingly negative, even though the president’s move was hardly surprising.
Hunter Biden was convicted in June of three federal firearms felonies when a jury took less than three hours to conclude he illegally purchased and possessed a firearm while using illegal drugs and lying about it on a federal Form 4473. There was no small irony in the fact that Joe Biden had supported the laws his son violated.
The elder Biden granted his son a full and unconditional pardon, reneging on the promise he made repeatedly. The hypocrisy of his actions came through in his statement of justification: “No reasonable person who looks at the facts of Hunter’s cases can reach any other conclusion than Hunter was singled out only because he is my son — and that is wrong.”
The very same arguments might be made about the man who will replace Joe Biden in January, the former president who was, according to his faithful supporters, persecuted, prosecuted and victimized by “lawfare” by Democrats who stopped at nothing in their efforts to keep him out of office a second time. Donald Trump not only suffered political warfare, he also survived two assassination attempts by individuals who many believe were driven by the hateful rhetoric espoused by his opponents, including President Biden, who portrayed the incoming president as dangerous to democracy.
The president has also said nobody is above the law, but evidently that standard applies to those whose last name is not Biden. Call it an early Christmas present from father to son.
Hunter Biden was also facing big problems related to his guilty plea on tax charges.
To their credit, virtually every left-of-center news agency reporting on the pardon acknowledged the president had gone back on his vow to not pardon his son.
CNN: “By pardoning his son, Joe Biden has reneged on a public promise that he made repeatedly before and after dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.”
Los Angeles Times: “In June, Biden categorically ruled out a pardon or commutation for his son…”
New York Times: “Many of the president’s allies and critics had expected him to use the unique authority vested only in his office, even though the president’s spokeswoman had denied for months that Mr. Biden had any intention of doing so.”
NBC News: “Biden’s plans to pardon his son were first reported by NBC News. He had said publicly multiple times that he would not pardon him.”
Joe Biden is an accomplished prevaricator. A report from the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability this past February showed the president “lied to the American people when he claimed he “did not” interact with his family’s foreign business associates.” In that report, the committee said “evidence uncovered through bank records and witness testimony proves Joe Biden interacted with nearly all of his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business associates. President Biden spoke by phone, attended dinners and meetings, and had coffee with his son’s foreign business associates. These individuals include Russian and Kazakhstani oligarchs, a Burisma executive, and Chinese nationals who collectively funneled millions to his son.”
This report effectively demolished the president’s repeated claims he never spoke to Hunter about his son’s business dealings. The New York Post tells a far different story, however. When Joe Biden bowed out of the 2024 campaign this past summer, an impeachment inquiry came to an end, the newspaper recalled.
As the elder Biden prepares to leave office in about seven weeks, his legacy already in tatters, the Sunday pardon amounts to the icing on a stale cake.
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL DOWN TO CONTINUE READING
Joe Biden has received four “Pinocchios” from the Washington Post fact checker several times, for lying about Republican tax plans to his laughable canard that the Second Amendment prevented people from owning cannons. Politifact has a rather lengthy list of his fibs, not the least of which has been his repeated claim that the gun industry is the only industry in the country with immunity from lawsuits. It’s not true and never was, and Joe Biden knows it.
So now, Hunter Biden skates on a federal gun conviction for which other people might do time or at least have a felony conviction on their records which prohibits them from voting or ever again owning a firearm.
Perhaps the biggest falsehood of them all came in his pardon message: “For my entire career I have followed a simple principle: just tell the American people the truth.”
For such a remark to be credible, it helps if you know how.
https://www.ammoland.com/2024/12/biden-lied-about-hunters-pardon-hes-had-lots-of-practice/
Republicans Eye Gun Measures in Trump’s First 100 Days
By Tom Knighton | 12:29 PM | December 03, 2024
Brandon Bell/Pool via AP
Donald Trump’s return to the White House means a lot of things to a lot of people. Not all of them are good, admittedly, but for gun owners, the news is mostly good. We’re not likely to see some of the assaults on the Second Amendment we’ve dealt with repeatedly over the last four years.
Advertisement
Honestly, at this point, if nothing else happened, that would probably be enough for many.
But it doesn’t look like that’s where the Trump administration or congressional Republicans are going to halt things.
A president’s first 100 days are important. It’s when they try to fulfill all the promises they made on the campaign trail, and for Trump, that includes guns.
Having won the election and sweeping to power, Republicans are planning an ambitious 100-day agenda with President-elect Donald Trump in the White House and GOP lawmakers in a congressional majority to accomplish their policy goals.
…
The four federal gun violence prevention efforts Trump could dismantle
The four federal gun violence prevention efforts Trump could dismantle
The 2024 presidential candidates couldn’t have been further apart on gun policy. Vice President Kamala Harris called for universal background checks and an assault weapons ban, while former President Donald Trump favors loosening concealed carry laws nationwide.
Though neither platform is likely to clear Congress, Trump’s victory could give him the power to dismantle three years of gun violence prevention measures enacted under President Joe Biden, who has arguably done more to try to stem gun violence than any president in decades.
“In my second term, we will roll back every Biden attack on the Second Amendment—the attacks are fast and furious—starting the minute that Crooked Joe shuffles his way out of the White House,” Trump told National Rifle Association members gathered for a convention in Dallas in May.
The Trace shares a look at the Biden-era policies most likely to be on the chopping block. Trump’s campaign did not respond to requests for comment.
Advertisement
These include bouncing Steve Dettelbach out of the top office at the ATF, ending the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, repealing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, and repealing the Biden gun control executive orders.
In truth, most of those could be dealt with on day one, really. Those are all executive-level actions that Trump can do with a stroke of his pen.
Repealing the BSCA will take a little more effort, and I’m not sure it’ll happen.
Oh, I think they can get a repeal through the House, but while Republicans now have a majority in the Senate, the Democrats still have the filibuster. I don’t see them just shrugging off this supposedly super-important gun control law’s repeal simply because they opposed the filibuster with every fiber of their being until the moment it was clear they lost the Senate.
No, that one’s going to take some work. I’m not sure it’ll happen, either, though I suspect a few things can be picked apart here and there via other bits of legislation.
Still, it’s a strange new world and I’m really interested to see how quickly some of this happens.
https://bearingarms.com/tomknighton/2024/12/03/republicans-eye-gun-measures-in-trumps-first-100-days-n1227034#google_vignette
Jewish Teens In Dallas Speak Out About Gun Ownership
By
Darwin Nercesian –
December 3, 2024 2
According to the FBI, more than half of all 2,699 reported hate incidents based on religion in 2023 were driven by anti-Jewish sentiment. Despite this statistic and the constant presence of antisemitism, the Jewish community has the lowest rate of gun ownership of all religious groups across America. That may be changing, however, as younger members of the community have begun to gain a better understanding of the Second Amendment and how responsible gun ownership is paramount to protecting lives and preventing tragedy. And where might these Jewish teens be learning such important values? None other than the great state of Texas.
Max Levin, a 15-year-old interviewed by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, says that the men of his Orthodox synagogue in Dallas, Texas, carry firearms out of fear for their safety, which the young man feels is necessary with the increasing volume of antisemitism after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack in Israel that left more than 1,200 Israelis slaughtered, including babies.
“They all carry guns in their suit pockets,” said Levin.
Fourteen-year-old Evelyn Benloulou, originally from Los Angeles, says that her parents took firearms training and safety courses and purchased guns, which she stated would never have occurred while the family lived in L.A. She attributes her family’s shifting outlook on firearms ownership and her own plans to become a gun owner in the future to the prevalent Texas gun culture and the rise of antisemitism. The young woman added she feels safer at synagogue with armed guards at the door.
“My whole family never thought about owning a gun before Oct. 7 … They’re keeping the synagogue safe and that does make me feel more comfortable,” said Benloulou, adding, “A gun is really the best way to fight back” and “protect the Jewish community,” an attitude more and more being shared by many of her peers.
In addition to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks in Israel, the local Jewish community recalls with vivid clarity the 2022 Congregation Beth Israel crisis in nearby Colleyville, Texas, where a gunman took synagogue members hostage.
All of the teenagers interviewed agree that gun ownership is an American right, saying they plan to own guns in the future despite most of them currently living in homes that are not protected by firearms. While the tone of these Jewish teens seems to have evolved from reason and necessity, they all agree that owning and carrying a firearm is a responsibility with the potential for harmful consequences, a lesson echoed throughout the firearms community when it comes to both safety practices and proper training.
Max and his older sister, Tannah Levin, 16, see a direct connection between their newfound respect for firearms ownership and the events of Oct. 7, understanding that at the moment of an attack, survival is likely to be determined by one’s own actions, and not by those whose duty it is to respond after the fact.
“Recently, when I think of guns and Judaism, I think of Oct. 7,” says Max, with Tannah adding, “Gun ownership has this feeling of security that isn’t really provided right now.”
Native Texas teens say they feel significantly more attached to their Constitutional right to keep and bear arms, recognizing a duty to themselves and their loved ones to protect life from those who would take it unlawfully and with disregard for humanity.
Jonah G., a 15-year-old Jewish resident, asked that his last name be omitted for fear that judgment based on his pro-Second Amendment views might negatively impact his future. While I lament it has come to that, I am encouraged to hear this Dallas-born Texas native stands firm in his beliefs and values.
“I believe in the Second Amendment … it’s very important to be able to protect the people I love. … The criminals are always going to get guns … so I would feel a lot safer knowing that I had a means of protection,” said Jonah, sounding more astute in his clear and concise perspective on the matter than most of the talking heads on television.
The Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, states, “If someone comes to kill you, rise and kill him first” (Sanhedrin 72a:4), demonstrating a commitment to self-defense within the faith which forbids otherwise unnecessary violence against others. The students seem to grasp the Hebrew Scriptures, known to Christians as the Old Testament, emphasizing the preciousness of life and the responsibility to sustain it, recognizing a duality in Jewish tradition.
“Jewish tradition recognizes that every life is sacred; at the same time, some of our texts balance the right to own weapons with the safety prescriptions necessary to assure that the innocent are protected,” says Rabbi Amy Wallk Katz of Springfield, Massachusetts.
Many large Jewish groups advocate for strict gun control, even in the wake of the Oct. 7 massacre carried out on an unarmed Israeli population. Many in the Jewish community, however, are seeing things differently, as it becomes more clear to them that those they align with politically don’t really have their best interests in mind, even supporting terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah whose charters call for the death of Jewish people.
https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/jewish-teens-in-dallas-speak-out-about-gun-ownership/
West Point prof, chair of Urban Warfare, Maj. John Spencer. I read his work BEFORE this war. He’s a kinda Mj. Coughlin in this field. Awesome.
Israel’s New Approach to Tunnels: A Paradigm Shift in Underground Warfare
Before the war against Hamas in Gaza, the Israel Defense Forces were the only army in the world to have a full brigade-sized unit dedicated to training, researching, and developing new technologies and tactics solely for underground warfare.
Their responses to these challenges signal a paradigm shift in modern approaches to underground warfare.
The IDF faced a Hamas military organization that had spent fifteen years engineering the infrastructure of an entire region for war, with a vast and expensively constructed subterranean network under Gaza’s population centers.
No military had faced anything like it in the past.
On Oct. 7, 2023, the IDF’s Yahalom unit, a brigade of special operations forces engineers, was fully equipped with technologies and tactics to detect and map tunnels and bunkers, and to clear and destroy them.…
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/israels-new-approach-to-tunnels-a-paradigm-shift-in-underground-warfare/
………
Long article, but it’s a MUST READ.
~~~~~And MUST SAVE!
Download! Save!
Thank You for the article and link, it gives me a lot to read and discover what the new thinking is.
His writing is very accessible. I just gobble it up.
From Al Arabia, Saudi mouthpiece based in London:
Why this Israel-Lebanon agreement is different?
It is true that the recent ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon is a replica of agreements made over the past forty years, all of which failed to prevent subsequent wars. However, this war and this agreement differ from previous ones, and we might witness its implementations starting next year. In my opinion, this will change the concept of conflict through Lebanon…
It is not about Iranian concessions or weakening Hezbollah, as most assessments speculate. Instead, the changed factor this time is Israel itself.
The October 7 attack last year changed Israel’s deterrence concept to preventing the presence of potential threats in its immediate geographical vicinity. Israel considered that attack an existential threat, prompting a reconsideration of border coexistence with hostile groups. For this reason, it decided to eliminate Hamas, weaken Hezbollah’s power, and prevent both organizations from threatening the existence of the Jewish state.
The characteristics of the current war – its size, type, and the statements of strategic leaders – indicate that Israel has changed its policy from “mowing the grass” to “uprooting it.”
[…]
Israel has proven to be a devastating regional military power capable of waging and winning long and multiple wars. It previously dismantled the Palestine Liberation Organization in Lebanon, diminished Syria’s influence there, and this time surprised Hezbollah and its supporting forces with its decisive superiority.
It will be difficult for Hezbollah to return as a regional player threatening Israel under the current balance of power. However, the path to stripping Hezbollah of its power is not only through disarming it but also through dismantling its influence, which will require additional rounds of confrontation.
https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2024/11/29/why-this-israel-lebanon-agreement-is-different
Another from Al Arabia. Devastating, honest evaluation of the Lebanese corrupt political class.
Kicking the can down the road: Lebanon’s fragile deal with the inevitable
https://english.alarabiya.net/views/2024/11/28/kicking-the-can-down-the-road-lebanon-s-fragile-deal-with-the-inevitable
To avoid tl;dr -my crude editing
Hussain Abdul-Hussain:
Gulf countries talk like Iran, act like Israel
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) held its annual summit in Kuwait on Sunday and issued a statement that sounded like Iran in thrashing Israel, but that aligned with the Jewish state in opposing the Islamic Republic’s troublemaking behavior. However, for the Gulf “wish list” to come true, Gulf countries need to end the discrepancy between their rhetoric and policy. If the Gulf wants Iran reined in, they’d be well advised to openly side with Israel.
…
The GCC called on Lebanon… [to sort domestic differences out] through “politics only,” code for “Hezbollah should transform itself from an armed militia into a political party.”
…
Gulf countries struck a similar anti-Iran note on Syria, calling for the restoration of the sovereignty of the Syrian government over all its land, in other words calling on Iranian proxies to disarm and hand over territory they control to the Assad regime.
Reconstruction money and financial aid… Assad desperately needs would be conditioned on him abandoning Iran. Such policy suffered a setback when Turkey-backed Islamist Sunni militias took on Assad and Iran-backed Islamist Shia militias in Aleppo. As Assad scrambles to defend his territory, his renewed reliance on Iran might mean that peeling him away from Tehran will become even harder.
Events in Syria prompted Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman to cut short a visit to Kuwait and go to Abu Dhabi for the first time in three years to meet with Emirati President Muhammad Bin Zayed.
[M]edia reports tied their talks to the urgency of rescuing Assad, lest the window of opportunity to distance him from Tehran closes.
Saudi pundits doubled down on turning Assad. “An Iranian Syria has become impossible, and so has a Turkish Syria, while a Russian Syria has dropped down on the list of Moscow’s priorities,” wrote Ghassan Charbel, the editor-in-chief of the London-based Saudi daily Asharq Al-Awsat.
The GCC toed a similar line against pro-Iran militias in Iraq, promising Baghdad support to overcome and disarm both “terrorist groups,” code for ISIS and radical Sunni Islamists, and “armed militias,” the ones that pledge allegiance to Islamist Iran….
But a closer look suggests that while the GCC rhetoric sounds pro-Iran, Gulf policies are against the Islamic Republic. And while the GCC bashes Israel, Gulf policies align perfectly with everything that Israel has been pushing for – both militarily and diplomatically.
Perhaps it is time for Gulf countries to reconcile what they say with what they want to see happen.
https://www.fdd.org/analysis/op_eds/2024/12/03/gulf-countries-talk-like-iran-act-like-israel/
Hamas Is Not Invincible
It has become conventional wisdom in Washington
[i.e. The Blob]that Hamas will survive no matter how hard it is pummeled by Israel. Yet Islamic history is littered with failed insurgencies and vanquished militants. Oct. 7 mastermind Yahya Sinwar envisioned an imminent triumph over Israel in a holy war to drive the Jews from Palestine. This is the kind of delusional hope that once powered al-Qaeda and the Islamic State.For most Palestinians in Gaza, Hamas’s rule has been hell. Hamas, like Hizbullah in Lebanon, didn’t moderate once in power. Hamas’s creed promised young men not just martyrdom but victory. But as the Islamic State can attest, when Islamists start to lose wars, the faithful soon lose heart. Asking young men to kill themselves for the cause can be alluring. But such fanaticism always fades when the death toll gets too high, and the promised conquest fails to materialize.
Hamas’s future now depends on whether young men who have been part of it – and, more importantly, the far larger number who have not – want to support a movement that has done its part to make most Gazans homeless. Whatever comes next likely won’t have the spiritual allure – the promise that comes with past or expected success – that made Hamas a redoubtable insurgent movement.
For supporters of Hamas, Oct. 7 was a modern re-enactment of the Prophet Muhammad’s slaughter of the Jewish tribe of Khaybar, which ended Jewish resistance to the Prophet’s call. Yet the “glory” of Oct. 7 is unlikely to sustain Hamas’s young men – and the Palestinian population more broadly – through the years of misery that lie ahead for all of Gaza.
https://unherd.com/2024/12/hamas-is-not-invincible/
Tren De Aragua? Eight Hispanics Shot in House in Chicago Town Known for Housing Illegals, Shooter Yet to Be Apprehended – Police Source Says Possible “Act of Retaliation” After One of The Victims Allegedly Murdered Someone in Venezuela
thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/tren-de-aragua-eight-hispanics-shot-house-chicago/
Dec. 3, 2024 3:40 pm
Eight people were shot and three killed Monday afternoon in a Gage Park, Chicago shooting during an apparent house party, and police are still looking for a suspect.
Chicago Police Chief of Patrol Jon Hein said police responded to a call in the 3500 block of West 59th Street in Gage Park.
Chief Jon Hein told reporters during a press conference Monday, “A total of eight individuals from this incident had been shot, four males, four females, Hispanic background, ages 20 to 35, three of the male subjects succumbed from their injuries involved in today.”
Via CBS:
While this is nothing new in the dangerous Democrat-controlled city, it raises questions about the suspect. The mainstream media was quick to jump on a narrative, painting the situation as a random “mass shooting,” but that may not be the case in light of new details.
The location of the shooting is just a few miles away from the Holliday Inn near Midway airport, where the city harbors illegal aliens who were smuggled into the country. Real America’s Voice correspondent Ben Bergquam and Chicago native Terry Newsome recently exposed the NGOs using the hotel to house and transport illegal aliens in October.
Chicago has faced a surge in crime by illegal aliens under the Biden-Harris Regime, with hundreds of violent crimes, including aggravated battery, assault, domestic battery, burglary, robbery, aggravated criminal sexual abuse, aggravated criminal sexual assault, child abuse, child abduction, endangering the life/health of a child, and stabbings are occurring inside of the facilities where these illegals are housed.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Venezuelan Tren De Aragua gang members–the same group taking over apartment complexes, terrorizing residents, and demanding “rent” payments in Aurora, Colorado–have overrun the city, committing violent crime and overwhelming the Chicago police force.
Additionally, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has previously housed illegals in facilities in the town of Gage Park, the same area where the shooting occurred.
Via Fox32:
Local journalist Terry Newsome sounded the alarm on X on a potential “act of retaliation” from Venezuelan illegals, he learned from a trusted source with the Chicago Police Department. Newsome told The Gateway Pundit, “It supposedly was a mob/gang-like retaliation hit. The DJ at the party murdered someone in Venezuela!” These details are still unconfirmed.
UPDATE ALLEGEDLY that the DJ at the Chicago Westlawn 8th district party murdered someone in VENEZUELA, which led to this act of retaliation in Chicago! @BenBergquam @annvandersteel @JJCarrell14 @RenzTom @laralogan @WGNTV @NextNewsNetwork @RealTomHoman https://t.co/jX2PHjoc2p
— Terry Newsome (@TerryNewsome357) December 3, 2024
Johnson was one of many Democrat sanctuary city leaders to decry and blame Texas Governor Greg Abbott for sending illegals to their communities after the Biden Regime sued to prevent deportations.
Upon landing, asylum seekers were placed on buses chartered by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and dropped in various surrounding suburbs, left to find their way to the city.
This is the second recorded instance of the Texas governor transporting asylum seekers via private plane.
— Mayor Brandon Johnson (@ChicagosMayor) December 31, 2023
This is a developing story.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/12/tren-de-aragua-eight-hispanics-shot-house-chicago/