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Shari Dunn's avatar

Finally somebody says it out loud. His vice president went to Germany and demanded that they let the party that is associated with Nazis speak he said it was restricting free ideas. His little buddy appeared via satellite in Germany until Germans that they are weaker for continuing to apologize for their past what past is that? The Holocaust so on the one hand they're going to Germany saying allow Nazism to flourish but they're supposedly against anti-semitism? Make it make sense

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Robin Birdfeather's avatar

The way it makes sense is to look at Republicans in general as a completely self-interested group that will do anything to confuse, IE take two different stands in the same sentence that indicates that they want everything their way and do not want to take responsibility for everything they do and get, and as we're seeing - how they get it. As if by right of birth and other supposed 'superiorities' they somehow deserve more than other people do. I'm very familiar within my family structure where basic childish self-interest is above all, as if they did not live in this democracy that requires and I would say even demands it. It's a ruling class ethic coming straight from kingships and imperial ways, without accountability or understanding of how selfish ways impact the rest of us citizens. Nor, do they seem to care at all. Certainly Trump doesn't nor do his sycophants. Get it into your heads - they do not care because caring is in the doing not the talk.

Parents - do not bring up your children to be Republicans, not yet anyway. They have an awful lot of garbage to deal with and I don't think they have a clue yet how much they actually owe to democracy to be where they are. The best they have ever come up with is some kind of Victorian charity attitude as if people in need were somehow inferior by virtue of having fewer goods, less money, less formal education etc. - [and we need free education for everybody so we can see real equality bloom and not be used divisively]. At the very least it is snobbery, at worst it is criminal. These selfish cowardly idiots go to great lengths to justify their social stupidity. Who needs a psychologist here, it's plain as the nose on a face. No more coddling their tiny little souls. Their self-protection is the gaslighting lie, the smoke screen, the corporate media, little gestures of beneficence that don't affect them at all, and for which we are supposed to be effing grateful; and their castles are everywhere, on islands and yachts, their private fiefdoms. They can't even spell equality. Ship them off to Russia, with their pitiful attitudes on their high horses? I've been observing this shit all my life which is coming up to 90 shortly. There's always some aspect of holding themselves apart as better than others and without understanding consequences in their fullness. Let's give them consequences. And, then, we've got Democrats on the other side. We really do need more than two parties don't you think?

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Nancie's avatar

I saw that headline this morning with a similar revulsion, but just refused to even open it. So thank you for tackling it, confirming my expectation, and writing this fabulous piece about how the mainstream press is failing, even as they act as if they’re nailing it. It’s so disappointing…

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Kris's avatar

Thanks to you and Elliot for voicing my exact thoughts.

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Karen Loeffler's avatar

The headline is despicable and misleading. Thank you for shining a light on it.

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Katharine Hill's avatar

Academic freedom—yes. The rest of that nonsense cannot be distilled into clickbait. Thank you for calling out the paper of record.

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P. Levun-A's avatar

Thank you for continuing to write about these times and put clear words to this unsettling and perilous time. Thank you for making me feel a little more hopeful and connected to the strength of our words and actions.

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Christine's avatar

Question…..if I stand for the Jewish community But not with the government. If I stand for the people of Palestine but not the terrorists does that make me antisemitic? I think not.trump like any bully is in actuality a very insecure individual that needs to use his “power” to cause harm to those he sees as superior.

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Marcia Greenberg's avatar

He doesn’t care about antisemitism at all. He hopes people will believe he does but he is just a liar and a despicable person.

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Robert Venafro's avatar

I'm thrilled you've taken on the media—finally, someone is challenging at least one legacy outlet. Most are busy sanewashing everything he says and does, either to placate or to chase ad dollars. Meanwhile, the 2025 crowd is monopolising every inch of media real estate, drowning out any competing narratives. From where I sit—as a Canadian in Montreal—the Democrats look rudderless, barely registering in the news cycle while the chaos machine runs unopposed. It feels like the American public is ready—eager, even—to move forward and leave this administration, along with its GOP enablers in Congress, behind. Schumer and Jeffries must either seize the day (Carpe diem) or get out of the way. This is where the focus of rage and fear must pivot - The Democrats - light the fire on them NOW.

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michele hogan's avatar

Anyone who doesn’t see how carefully the NYT is currying favor with King Trump is blind. I canceled my WAPO subscription but keep the Times for its cooking and games sections - the honest sections.

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James addison's avatar

Trump doesn’t give a damn about anything but his own fat stinking ass.

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River girl's avatar

Exactly

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Teri Gelini's avatar

TRUTH!

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Jonathan  Carroll's avatar

so...it's down to whatever scares folks the most and shuts them up. It's threat level calculation, not moral, ethnic or social considerations of any sort. It couldn't be more abjectly scabrous.

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JAMES JOSEPH WOLAN's avatar

It's never a good day in the Felon's neighborhood.

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Karen Wood's avatar

I agree with you 150%

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Dr. Gregory Gasic's avatar

Gina Kolata and Jeremy Peters of The New York Times have muddied the waters beginning with their headline and much of their article, and they should know better.Dr. Alan Garber’s true battle is against the exercise of authoritarian power by POTUS on academic freedom and his gutting of scientific and biomedical research by withholding funds from Harvard and proposing draconian cuts to the budgets of NIH and NSF in his 2026 fiscal year budget as reported in another New York Times Article the previous day. Has Dr. Garber succumbed to fear of POTUS that he feels that he must agree with him on some issue?

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Jeannie Brooks's avatar

I don't know why President Alan Garber said he agrees Harvard could do more to oppose antisemitism. He even said he has experienced it himself. Since I can’t read his mind, and I don’t feel entitled to presume to know his motive, I’m just accepting his words at face value.

However, we must remember, he is standing up to Trump, he is taking him on and refuses to give up control over their curriculum, who they hire, what they teach, DEI or not, and as far as I know Harvard is the only bulwark we've got. I’m standing with them.

However, I agree the title of the article was definitely off-putting and made me feel a little queasy.

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Lark Leonard's avatar

I cancelled my subscription to the New York Times months ago - I couldn't take it any more. The loss of a newspaper that I always respected cuts deeply into my sense of belonging, my orientation to the present moment. But so it is. And I revel in my new-found resources on Substack. Resilience is the key!

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Chjd's avatar
May 3Edited

The role some in the press have played needs called out on the regular! The seriousness of this moment in our history as a nation demands it. The “4th pillar” plays a pivotal role. The founding fathers knew of its profound significance in keeping the citizenry informed. But now it seems there’s a disconnect between that responsibility and the normalization of lies upon lies in favor of ratings. As is apparent with the lack of adequately informed electorate. One need only look at google searches on Election Day 2024 (warning it is appalling) to know the “4th pillar,” yet another in our system, has become ineffectual.

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