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December 2013

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 29, 2013 7 Comments
Several dozen universities have issued rejections of the academic boycott of Israel passed by the American Studies Association, many with forceful statements. Among the most forceful was Trinity College in Connecticut, whose President and Dean of Faculty issued a stinging rebuke in a letter to the ASA President (emphasis added):
To The Immediate Attention of the President of the American Studies Association: Our Dean of the Faculty, Thomas Mitzel, and I wish to go on record renouncing the boycott of Israel on the part of the ASA. Trinity once years back was an institutional member (we were then advertising for an open position), and apparently some members of our faculty are individual members. Were we still an institutional member, we would not be any longer after the misguided and unprincipled announcement of the boycott of the only democracy in the Middle East. The Dean and I oppose academic boycotts in general because they can so easily encroach upon academic freedom. In this strange case, why the ASA would propose an academic boycott of Israel and not, for example, of Syria, the Sudan, North Korea, China, Iran, Iraq, or Russia escapes rational thought. Trinity has participated in the Rescue Scholar program since its inception; we have welcomed scholars from some of the most repressive countries on the planet, and it is inconceivable to us that we would ever be welcoming a Rescue Scholar fleeing Israel for political reasons. As President of the ASA, you have tarnished a once distinguished association.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 29, 2013 13 Comments
So that the Palestinians would agree to talk.  That's the deal Israel had to agree to just to start the talks. Why agree to it? Because Bibi couldn't afford to piss off Obama any more than he already had, so he had to cave in on the precondition (which no one wants to call a precondition, just a good will gesture). From The Times of Israel, Israel publishes list of Palestinian inmates to be freed:
A panel of Israeli cabinet ministers on Saturday night approved a list of 26 Palestinian prisoners to be released on Monday in the third phase of a four-stage series of releases agreed on when peace talks with the Palestinians were resumed earlier in 2013. All of the prisoners on the list (Hebrew PDF), save three, were convicted of murdering Israeli civilians or soldiers, as well as Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel. In a press release Saturday night, the Prime Minister’s Office said all of the inmates had been convicted of offenses committed prior to the signing of the Oslo Accords in 1994....
Among the victims was a Hebrew University Professor:
•Muammar Ata Mahmoud Mahmoud and Salah Khalil Ahmad Ibrahim, convicted of murdering Menahem Stern, a history professor at Hebrew University. Stern, 64, a winner of the prestigious Israel Prize, was stabbed to death while walking to work at the university’s Givat Ram campus on June 22, 1989. A monument in his memory figures in a scene from the prize-winning Israeli film “Footnote.” Ibrahim was also convicted in the murder of Eli Amsalem. In addition, the two murdered a Palestinian suspected of collaborating with Israel, Hassin Zaid.
More on Professor Stern here. This image, according to Wikipedia, is of Professor Stern in 1988, the year before he was stabbed to death. [caption id="attachment_74564" align="alignnone" width="288"](Menahem Stern, 1988) (Menahem Stern, 1988)[/caption] There will be celebrations to welcome home these "heroes." As more information becomes available as to the victims, we will update this post. Update: Israel National News (via Carl in Jerusalem) has more details:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 28, 2013 23 Comments
We have dealt the "white privilege" so many times here, I probably should start a "white privilege" tag. Michael Eric Dyson is a frequent commentator on MSNBC. He's a Professor of Sociology at Georgetown. He is quick to make accusations impunigning others with accusations of explicit or implicit racism: And he has the privilege of accusing other of "white privilege" when he wants to win an argument:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on December 28, 2013 2 Comments
As we head into the New Year, I thought this might be an appropriate time for an homage to two of my favorite things: the Tea Party and craft beer! Approaching the 5th anniversary of the start of the Tea Party movement, media types and establishment politicos are very upset that we are still alive and kicking! The U.S. Chamber of Commerce spending $50 Million to take on the Tea Party in 2014 Senate primaries.
"Our No. 1 focus is to make sure, when it comes to the Senate, that we have no loser candidates," Chamber strategist Scott Reed told the Journal. "That will be our mantra: No fools on our ticket." The financial support, which The Hill reported would pour at least $50 million into the campaigns of centrist GOP candidates, is part of an aggressive approach toward tea party Republicans since the 16-day October government shutdown.
One of my favorite Sunday morning activities is hearing the talking heads get excited about the impending Tea Party demise, complete with interviews with Washington's intelligentsia. The Atlantic article, Why the Tea Party Isn't Going Anywhere, is replete with many examples of our "extremism" and offers insight to the continued outrage at our existence.
...[A]t least three successive national election defeats will be necessary to even begin to break the determination and leverage of Tea Party adherents. Grassroots Tea Partiers see themselves in a last-ditch effort to save “their country,” and big-money ideologues are determined to undercut Democrats and sabotage active government. They are in this fight for the long haul. Neither set of actors will stand down easily or very soon.
Despite the authors' tainted view of our motives, these three principles are at core of most Tea Party activism: 1) Individual liberty 2) Fiscal responsibility 3) Limited government In fact, San Diego blogger Dean Riehm reminds everyone about the benefits of limited government and sensible deregulation with a brilliant piece on the craft beer industry.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on December 28, 2013 9 Comments
Christmas is a celebration of "peace on Earth, goodwill toward men", and Santa Claus is famed for spreading joy to children throughout the world. However, reports from Turkey and the Balkans show that the image of Saint Nick is taking a beating. Literally. From the Hurriyet Daily News, which covers Turkey and the region:
A Muslim youth group and a neighborhood authority led two separate anti-Santa campaigns on the eve of Christmas in Turkey. The Istanbul University branch of a group called Anatolia Youth Association (AGD) released an illustration of a Muslim youth punching Santa Claus in the face and announced that it would make a press statement against Christmas on Dec. 26 in Istanbul. The group announced the event with a statement titled “Muslim, return to yourself!” adding that “Christmas is a Christianity practice.” The group also criticized the celebration of New Year’s Day, saying that the two dates were “mixed” and “united.” It claimed that celebrating Christmas and New Year’s Day was “wrong” and constituted “a blow dealt to Muslimism.”
The Blaze reports the image has spread to the Balkans:

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 28, 2013 3 Comments

Some end of year lists: YAF Lists The Top 10 Politically Correct Offenses on Campus in 2013 Greg Lukianoff Lists the 10 Worst Colleges for Free Speech in 2013 13 Outrageously Dumb Campus Moments of 2013 In a college world of Kangaroo courts and a War on Men, this...

Posted by Leslie Eastman on December 28, 2013 13 Comments
Obamacare is ending the year on a very low note. Two states, both deep blue in their politics, are unhappy with the quality of the websites designed for the healthcare insurance exchanges.  Shockingly, they have opted to take a very free market approach to the problem.
Massachusetts -- whose government was one of the staunchest supporters of ObamaCare, and whose health plan arguably was the model for the law -- is refusing to pay any more until a working website is delivered. A spokesman for the Massachusetts exchange told FoxNews.com that CGI's system is "far from where it needs to be" and the state will apply "nonstop pressure" to fix the problems. ...Vermont, too, is withholding $5.1 million to CGI over its failure to meet deadlines, according to a report in the Boston Globe. CGI, though, claims that neither state is fully cutting off its funding.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 27, 2013 5 Comments
I have been accumulating the list of universities rejecting the anti-Israel academic boycott passed by the American Studies Association and two smaller groups. Many of the statements issued are eloquent and forceful, but this one from Goucher College in Towson, Maryland stands out for its clarity in pointing out the pernicious absurdity of the boycott. Goucher is not an Institutional Member of the ASA. Some of the language is reminiscent of Daniel Patrick Moynihan's denunciation of the notorious "Zionism is Racism" U.N. Resolution. I have to think the similarity of language was intentional. Here is Moynihan's famous line:
The United States rises to declare before the General Assembly of the United Nations, and before the world, that it does not acknowledge, it will not abide by, it will never acquiesce in this infamous act.... There will be time enough to contemplate the harm this act will have done the United Nations.
You be the judge as to whether Goucher was channeling Moyhihan.  The Goucher statement was circulated in an all campus email that was forwarded to me (emphasis added):
December 27, 2013 Dear Members of the Goucher Community: We are writing to express our strong concern about, and outright disapproval of, the recent vote by the American Studies Association to boycott Israeli academic institutions, apparently as a result of some of its members’ disapproval of certain policies of the Israeli government. Goucher College, as we try to make clear by our words and actions daily, stands for open discussion, research, and inquiry about all issues, international or domestic, in every intellectual and political domain. The free exchange of ideas and opinions is essential to liberal arts education and to our very existence as an academic community. We would, of course, be outraged if any such boycott were launched against all American colleges and universities by any association of alleged scholars anywhere in the world, out of disagreement with a US military engagement or other element of American foreign or domestic policy.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 27, 2013 84 Comments
https://twitter.com/ABCWorldNews/status/416694087312359426 https://twitter.com/edhenryTV/status/416694486714966016 Via Hollywood Reporter, A&E Welcomes Phil Robertson Back to 'Duck Dynasty':
An A&E statement to The Hollywood Reporter read: As a global media content company, A+E Networks’ core values are centered around creativity, inclusion and mutual respect. We believe it is a privilege for our brands to be invited into people’s home and we operate with a strong sense of integrity and deep commitment to these principals. That is why we reacted so quickly and strongly to a recent interview with Phil Robertson. While Phil’s comments made in the interview reflect his personal views based on his own beliefs, and his own personal journey, he and his family have publicly stated they regret the “coarse language” he used and the mis-interpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article. He also made it clear he would “never incite or encourage hate.” We at A+E Networks expressed our disappointment with his statements in the article, and reiterate that they are not views we hold.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 27, 2013 3 Comments
It was "just" a Mayor's race, but it's a tale of how unions funnel money to decide elections, often behind the scenes. The Boston Globe has the scoop, American Federation of revealed as funder behind mysterious pro-Walsh PAC during mayoral campaign (h/t @dbernstein):
Organizers of One Boston, the mysterious political action committee that dumped $480,000 into the Boston mayoral campaign during its final days, confirmed to the Globe today that the American Federation of Teachers funded the group’s efforts to swing the race in favor of Mayor-elect Martin J. Walsh. In a complicated series of transactions, the AFT — a powerful national teachers union — gave the money to One New Jersey, a teachers union-backed political action committee. That group then donated those funds to One Boston, a local affiliate set up to spend money in the Boston mayoral race.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 27, 2013 11 Comments

We reported last week on how Judge Leon in the District of Columbia ruled against the government, preliminarily, on NSA mass data surveillance. I cautioned against the media assumption that the ruling would survive: The judge issued a preliminary injunction, but stayed his decision pending appeal....

Posted by William A. Jacobson on December 27, 2013 10 Comments

The President of Trinity College in Connecticut is one of over 50 University Presidents who have issued a very strong statement rejecting the academic boycott of Israel. The Trinity statement consisted of a letter to the President of the American Studies Association, and reads (emphasis added): To The Immediate Attention...

Posted by New Neo on December 27, 2013 25 Comments

Here are some questions from Victor Davis Hanson on how the precedents Obama has set could result in a changed America even after he leaves office: The nation has grown used to the idea that what the president says is probably either untrue or irrelevant —...

Posted by Leslie Eastman on December 27, 2013 5 Comments
Egypt can be a place of miracles. As we have just celebrated Christmas, I am reminded of the flight into Egypt of the Holy Family. More recently, snow hit the streets of Cairo in more than a century. Now, Egypt begins its recovery after a brief visit with political insanity.
Egypt's security authorities launched a sweep of arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members on Thursday and warned that holding a leadership post in the group could now be grounds for the death penalty after it was officially declared a terrorist organization, stepping up the government's confrontation with its top political nemesis. The announcement came as a bomb exploded in a busy intersection in Cairo Thursday morning, hitting a bus and wounding five people. Though small, the blast raised fears that a campaign of violence by Islamic militants that for months has targeted police and the military could turn to civilians in retaliation for the stepped up crackdown. The terrorist labeling of the Brotherhood — an unprecedented step even during past decades when the group was banned — takes to a new level the government's moves to crush the group, which rode on elections to dominate Egypt's politics the past three years until the military removed Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in July after massive protests against him.
The move was made shortly after officials blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for a suicide bombing at a police headquarters north of Cairo that killed 16 people, as well as a series of other events highlighting increasing political tensions ahead of a key Jan. 14-15 referendum on a revised constitution.

Posted by A.F. Branco on December 27, 2013 5 Comments

Note: You may reprint this cartoon provided you link back to this source.  To see more Legal Insurrection Branco cartoons, click here. Branco’s page is Cartoonist A.F.Branco ...

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