Evil Penevil

The best way to honor the memory of the six million Jews who died in the Holocaust is to support the state of Israel. A national homeland for the world's Jews behind secure borders is the best deterrent to a future attempt to wipe out Jews. None of us should be blind to the wave of antisemitism that is once again sweeping the world. The 7.4 million Jews in Israel are standing against many times that number of Arabs, Muslims and other antisemites who want to see them dead.

Latest update says the accused arsonist, Cody Balmer, harbored "hatred" for Shapiro, but doesn't go into details of why. I wonder if Balmer will say he is anti-Zionist but not antisemitic. Cody Balmer was "harboring hatred" toward Shapiro before setting fire at Governor's Residence, documents say ... When asked what he would've done if confronted by the governor while inside the residence, the complaint said Balmer stated he would've "beaten him with his hammer." ... Cody Balmer's mother says her son is "mentally ill" Christie Balmer told CBS News that her son is "mentally ill and he went off his medication" before the attack on the Governor's Residence and that she had tried to get her son "picked up" last week by four different police departments. According to Christie Balmer, she couldn't get anybody to help. https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/cody-balmer-governors-residence-fire-josh-shapiro-harrisburg/

The writer of an article in The Telegraph would seem to agree with the OP: How Thailand turned its back on its backpackers https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/most-successful-rebrand-history-thailand-110000726.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall It's unrealistic, not to mention selfish, for anyone to expect Thailand to stay frozen in time and mired in poverty so that Westerners can enjoy cheap vacations. The unofficial motto of the French Foreign Legion is "March or die." The motto for backpackers and sex tourists should be "Adapt or move on." The answer seems obvious to me. If you don't enjoy Thailand any longer because it's gotten too expensive, too commercialized or too Westernized, find a country that suits you better.

Common sense. U.S. citizens, whether U.S. born or naturalized, can't be deported. As an immigration attorney, Nicole Micheroni would know this and therefore couldn't be scared or intimidated by an erroneous email. No need for me to make anything up. I'll leave that to you. I'm not assuming DHS is inept. I am acknowledging that it's possible DHS sent an email in error. There are at least 47.8 million immigrants and long-term nonimmigrants in the U.S. About 1.1 million have student visas. DHS sends out tens of thousands of emails every day and even the most efficient organizations can make a mistake. Slowly now, from the top, so you understand. Micheroni got a standard email sent to foreign residents of the U.S. whose temporary legal status to remain in the U.S. had expired or been revoked. Since U.S. born CITIZENS CANNOT BE DEPORTED under any circumstances, the only mistake to correct would be a follow-up email stating the first had be sent in error. It's no big thing.

Whatever security detail Gov. Josh Shapiro had- it's usually State Police- failed him badly. The suspect, Cody Balmer, jumped a wall, evaded State troopers, broke into the governor's mansion, used a Molotov cocktail to set the fire. then escaped the same way he came. How the hell that could have happened is mind-boggling. It's not yet known whether the attack was related to Shapiro's religion or support for Israel. Shapiro is an observant Jew who before the attack had celebrated the first night of Passover with a Seder, the traditional dinner, at which participants sing, "Next year in Jerusalem."

The IDF pushed the ambulances and other vehicles off the road with bulldozers to clear the road. The IDF crushed and buried the vehicles so they couldn't be driven again nor used to provide cover for new attacks.

Definitely. The headline of the topic is very misleading. DHS did not attempt to deport Nicole Micheroni; it sent her an email by mistake. The U.S. Supreme Court has held since the early 1800s that U.S. citizens, whether born in the U.S. or naturalized, cannot be deported or exiled. Nor can the U.S. refuse to readmit a citizen who has been abroad. Naturalized citizens who obtain citizenship fraudulently may have their citizenship revoked, but denaturalization has to precede any attempt to deport them. As an attorney, Nicole Micheroni would know this. It's a way for Micheroni to stoke fear and drum up business for her immigration attorney practice.

The use of the word "Semite" to refer to an ethnic group is outdated. The Encyclopedia Britannica explains it this way: "Semite, obsolete term, popularized in the 19th century, that originally described a member of any people who speak one of the Semitic languages, a family of languages that includes Arabic, Hebrew, Amharic, Aramaic, and Tigrinya, among others. The term was later used in an ethnic sense, even though there has never been a shared Semitic identity among Semitic-speaking peoples. When used in that sense, Semite often referred specifically to people of Jewish origin, regardless of what language they spoke, a reflection of the antisemitism that was concurrent in 19th-century Europe." https://www.britannica.com/topic/Semite The word "anti-Semitism" or "antisemitism" entered the English language in1881 from the German Antisemitismus, which had been coined by Wilhelm Marr, a German journalist and agitator who thought it sounded more scientific and academic than the older Judenhaß ("Jew hatred"). Marr himself is regarded as the "father of modern antisemitism," although he apparently renounced his anti-Jewish beliefs as an old man. https://njop.org/the-origin-of-word-anti-semitism/ Bottom line: the word "antisemitism" has never been used in the English language to mean anything but a hatred of Jews.

Here's what the IDF is up against when it comes to Hamas and "medics." A man wearing a medic's vest rushes to the body of a wounded or dead combatant, grabs his automatic rifle and tosses it to another combatant. The second the "medic" touches the rifle, he becomes a legit military target. The encounter took place in Jenin about one year ago. Palestinian quotMedicquot taking the weapon from a dead terrorist and giving it to another..mp4 Better quality video at the links below: https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/17rff07/west_bank_medic_takes_weapon_from_downed_militant/ https://www.reddit.com/r/2ndYomKippurWar/comments/17rfxtb/palestinian_medic_taking_the_weapon_from_a_dead/ I have no idea how many members of AN have actually been in military combat, but some of the pro-Palestinian posters don't seem to realize combat is the most chaotic situation you can imagine, especially in an urban environment against opponents who aren't uniformed. You shoot in the direction of whoever's firing at you. If a non-combatant gets in the way, that's the reality of urban guerilla war. It's terrible, tragic, cruel, immoral and every other negative term of which you can think, but it's almost impossible to avoid non-combatant deaths, given the nature of war in a dense urban environment. The only way to reduce non-combatant casualties is to reduce the number of armed engagements. The figures below from the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show a clear correlation between the number of deaths and major attacks launched by Hamas. It's not exactly rocket science, but if Hamas doesn't want Palestinians killed, it shouldn't attack Israel. It's as simple as that. Note that the UNOCHA data doesn't include Palestinian deaths in Gaza after Oct. 6, 2023. Those figures will be included once the U.N. has verified them. https://www.ochaopt.org/data/casualties Two factors exacerbate non-combatant deaths in Gaza: 1) the use of human shields by Hamas; and 2) Hamas' devotion to martyrdom. The use of human shields has been discussed dozens of times on AN, but I'll include some info on martyrdom. For Palestinians, a Rush to Claim ‘Martyrs’ Killed by Israel In one of the deadliest years for Palestinians, a tradition of political and armed groups claiming Palestinian “martyrs” clouds the distinction between civilian and fighter. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/world/middleeast/palestinian-martyrs-israel.html Bottom line: Palestinian non-combatant deaths aren't due to bloodthirsty tactics by the IDF, but because of the nature urban warfare and Hamas' willingness to sacrifice its own people.

No pro-Israel or Jewish group in the U.S. has called for restrictions on freedom of speech and lawful protest by pro-Palestine and anti-Israel groups. The calls for action against protesters has come regarding unlawful campus encampments, occupation of buildings, blocking streets, etc. And worse, Jewish students and sometimes Jews on the street and in synagogues have been subjected to harassment, name-calling and even physical assault. It's only illegal activities that aren't protected by the First Amendment which have come in for crackdowns.

Very, very good news! Made my year so far. One of the really bad guys, a vicious antisemite and Hamas supporter, looks likely to be deported from the U.S. It's a smidgeon of justice for all the pain he and his cohorts heaped on the Jewish students at Columbia U. It has nothing to do with free speech. Anti-Israel Columbia protester Mahmoud Khalil can be deported, judge rules, but it won’t happen immediately Mahmoud Khalil can be deported over his involvement in anti-Israel demonstrations at Columbia University, an immigration judge ruled Friday in the closely watched case. ... But Khalil won’t be deported immediately — his lawyers will get the chance to fight the proceedings before a final determination is made. https://nypost.com/2025/04/11/us-news/columbia-protester-mahmoud-khalil-can-be-deported-judge-rules-but-it-wont-happen-immediately/

It's very hard to give a rational answer as to why Hamas doesn't release the hostages. Short answer: it doesn't make sense. Hamas took 251 hostages from Israel into Gaza. Where are they? A total of 251 people were taken in the attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. We’re tracking what happened to each of them. https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/hamas-hostages-israel-war-gaza/ Hostage Forum publishes health report for 24 living hostages, warns ‘time is running out’ Based on testimonies from freed hostages and propaganda videos, medical report details dire conditions of captivity including isolation, severe malnutrition and untreated injuries https://www.timesofisrael.com/hostage-forum-publishes-health-report-for-24-living-hostages-warns-time-is-running-out/ The health report describes how hostages are undergoing “physical and mental torture."

Here are better pics of QueeQueg. I bet his tattoos cost more than 5,000 baht.

You need to read up on your history. The main Zionist organizations accepted a UN proposal in 1947 to partition Mandatory Palestine into a Jewish state and an Arab state, but Arabs inside and outside Palestine rejected it, leading to armed conflict. When the State of Israel was proclaimed in 1948, the armies of five Arab countries invaded the territory given to Israel under the partition plan. Their goal was to crush Israel, with the territory of the former Palestinian mandate to be divided among Arab countries. The IDF's success on the battlefield has prevented that from happening, right up through 2025. https://www.britannica.com/event/Arab-Israeli-wars It wasn't until the Oslo Accords of 1993 that the Palestinian Liberation Organization accepted the initial stages of what was intended to become a two-state solution. A two-state solution had been for years the backbone of U.S. government efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East. Pres. Clinton had pushed hard for a Palestinian state at the 2000 Camp David Summit. However, Hamas and some Arab and Muslim countries strongly opposed a two-state solution and sabotaged efforts in that direction. The constant terrorist attacks led many Israelis, including Netanyahu, to believe a two-state solution would never work. To suggest that U.S. politicians have been "bought and paid for" by Jewish interests is the height of antisemitism, playing unto one of the oldest anti-Jewish tropes. Most Jewish settlers are Israelis born in Israel. "Some 60,000 American Jews live in West Bank settlements, where they account for 15 percent of the settler population, according to a forthcoming book by Oxford University historian Sara Hirschhorn. " https://www.timesofisrael.com/world-series-ignites-old-passions-among-west-banks-american-jews/ The number of South Africans is insignificant in this context, as only "11,381 South Africans were recorded as living in Israel" in 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_African_Jews_in_Israel Neither U.S. nor South African settlers are "nutters." American Jews return to Israel mostly for religious reasons, while South Africans feel safer there than in their home country and face less discrimination. @ronnie50 Your antisemitism is shining through very clearly. Are you a believer in the Protocols of the Elders of Zion? https://www.britannica.com/topic/Protocols-of-the-Elders-of-Zion

What nationality was the foreigner who punched the Thai driver? Has any news source disclosed that info?

Yes, it is disgusting the BBC does not refer to Hamas as terrorists. Senior editors are clearly catering to militant Muslims. The BBC's use of Hamas operatives as "journalists" in Gaza is also a telling signal. Anti9semitism now runs deep at the BBC. It's tragic to think of the BBC as a lost cause. It was once the shining beacon of classic Western journalistic values, a standard by which all news organizations could be compared, including those in the U.S. Now it's an example of what a news group SHOULDN'T be. Yes, it goes much deeper than mere left-leaning. The BCC management and most of its journalists have fallen under the dark shadow of what's called Critical Race Theory in the U.S. That's the belief that white people, and by extension the governments of white-majority countries, are inherently racist and supremacist. Western history and culture, especially the former British Empire, are rejected on that basis. CRT presents a convenient excuse for hatred of Jews and Israel as they are considered privileged and part of the "white" world. This isn't the right thread for a lengthy description, but plenty of info on CRT is available on the Internet.

More sad evidence the BBC has fallen far from its former status. Prior to the new millennium, a strong case could be made for the BBC as the world's leading news organization, but not any longer. In the past 25 years, the BBC's standards regarding objectivity, factuality and neutrality in news coverage have slipped considerably. "Revert" is not a widely used term in mainstream Islam, which still favors "convert." https://aboutislam.net/reading-islam/living-islam/convert-or-revert-how-does-it-matter/ In fact, revert is almost exclusively used by politicized Islamist groups. It's on the same narrow level as calling a suicide bomber a "martyr." For the BBC to use revert in an article aimed at a broad audience is disturbing to say the least. The senior leadership of the BBC is in need of major shakeup to stop the downward slide.

Exactly right. The Rome Statute, which created the ICC and serves as its charter, has no enforcement mechanism regarding nations which have signed or ratified the treaty but refuse to honor ICC arrest warrants. If any of the 125 nations which are part of the ICC ignores a warrant on an individual wanted by the ICC, nothing happens to that country. In September, 2024, Putin visited Mongolia, despite the ICC warrant for his arrest. ICC member Mongolia ignored its obligation to arrest and hand over Putin, giving the Russian leader a red-carpet welcome instead. Mongolia has only 3.5 million people and no economic clout. If such a weak nation can't be persuaded or forced to follow ICC obligations, no country can. https://apnews.com/article/mongolia-russia-putin-international-criminal-court-warrant-4c79850ecf409287924e3d96218abc78 That's a flaw even the most enthusiastic ICC supporter has to concede: compliance with ICC warrants and other directives depends entirely on the WILLINGNESS of member nations to obey. It's the height of irony that South Africa, which has hounded Netanyahu with an intensity not seen since the 1940s, had a high-profile refusal to honor an ICC warrant and even took steps to withdraw from the ICC to avoid having to arrest Putin. I wrote about it earlier in this thread.

I haven't missed anything. Your underlying (and unstated) assumption that many of the people who ICE has deported have legal status to be in the U.S. is simply wrong. No one, in Thailand or the U.S., who does not have appropriate permission from the host government to remain in country has no reason to complain about being apprehended and deported. End of story.

If they had entered Thailand illegally, they would have no valid reason to squeal about getting picked up and deported to another country.

William Henry Harrison, the ninth U.S. President, had only 31 days in office before dying of what was most likely pneumonia. Abraham Lincoln had one full term and was assassinated one month and 11 days into his second term. List of presidents of the United States by time in office - Wikipedia

I agree , it is indeed a great start. The increased vetting of applicants for U.S. student visas rams home the point that no foreigner has a right to attend a U.S. educational institution. If a foreign student disagrees with Israeli, U.S. government or university policies to the extent he or she is willing to take part in violent demonstrations that go way beyond free speech, then they should apply to a university in South Africa, Ireland, Spain or any other country whose governmental and university policies align more closely with the applicant's. On a separate note, here's another brief update on some of the actions taken against pro-Hamas supporters and others on U.S. university campuses. Keep in mind failure to disclose previous arrests and other relevant information on visa applications or renewals is grounds for deportation in itself. That's been a rule for over 100 years. Also, visa revocations are nothing new. I couldn't find more up-to-date info, but between 2001 and 2015, "a State Department official says the U.S. has revoked more than 122,000 visas since 2001, including 9,500 because of the threat of terrorism." https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-revokes-visas-based-on-threats-of-terrorism-official-says/ Finally, the U.S. government is not required to publicly reveal the grounds for each and every visa revocation or removal. Sometimes the information may have come from a confidential informant or foreign intelligence service. Mahmoud Khalil- Algerian citizen, Columbia student. Faces immigration court and judge on April 8 in Louisiana Momodou Taal- Dual citizen of U.K. and Gambia, student at Cornell U. Has self-deported after visa revoked Badar Khan Suri- Republic of India citizen married to a Hamas supporter whose father was a senior member of Hamas. Badar Khan Suri is under detention in Louisiana for spreading Hamas propaganda and having close connections to Hamas. Visa revoked, faces removal. Georgetown U. scholar Dr. Rasha Alawieh- Lebanese physician denied re-entry to U.S. after attending funeral of Hezbollah leader in Lebanon. Brown U. Rumeysa Ozturk- Turkish citizen, student Tufts U. Visa revoked, detained and facing deportation. Basis for visa revocation has not been revealed. Alireza Doroudi- Iranian citizen, U. of Alabama, visa revoked and detained for national security reasons, perhaps not related to Gaza war Ranjani Srinivasan- Republic of India citizen, Columbia student, self-deported to Canada after visa revoked. Had been arrested earlier for participation in illegal protests and failed to disclose arrest on application to renew student visa. Yunseo Chung- South Korean citizen, Columbia U., had green card revoked and ICE is seeking to arrest her. Has not been found yet. Was arrested during violent occupation at Barnard College. Doğukan Günaydın- Turkish citizen, U. of Minnesota. Visa revoked, detained, removal sought after conviction for drunk driving at more than twice the legal blood alcohol level. May be routine case not related to Gaza war protests. Leqaa Kordia- Palestinian citizen, former Columbia student. Least controversial case. Detained after dropping out of Columbia in 2022, followed by three-year visa overstay. Had been arrested in connection with Columbia protests. Lnks to sources: https://apnews.com/article/immigration-detainees-students-ozturk-khalil-78f544fb2c8b593c88a0c1f0e0ad9c5f https://www.al.com/politics/2025/03/tuberville-backs-detaining-of-alabama-doctoral-student-government-says-posed-security-concerns.html https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/21/us/bahar-khan-suri-deportation-what-we-know-hnk/index.html https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/02/us/university-of-minnesota-graduate-student-detained-ice-lawsuit/index.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/25/nyregion/columbia-university-protester-chung-deportation.html

No such confusion on my part or that of the U.S. government. Unfortunately some groups and individuals express their disagreement with Israeli policies through terrorism. Hamas is one of them. @stevenl almost never clarifies his sometimes cryptic comments. I guessing that he's referring to the old chestnut that support of the Palestinian people does not necessarily translate to support for Hamas and other terror groups, i.e., students can be pro-Palestinian without being pro-Hamas. He's reacting to the words "terrorist activity" in the headline of the article I quoted as well as what he perceives as the tone, if not the exact wording, of the questions I suggested. I never directly mentioned Israeli policy. In @stevenl's mind, I have confused terrorism with opposition to Israeli policies in earlier posts, but that only happened in his imagination.

This is what was really needed. It's a hell of a lot easier to deny pro-Hamas and antisemitic students a visa before they enter the U.S. that to revoke visas and remove students from the U.S. US issues broad order to consulates to vet student visas over ‘terrorist activity’ State department shares new standard for denials based on social media posts, financial donations and memberships ... The directive states that “evidence that an applicant advocates for terrorist activity, or otherwise demonstrates a degree of public approval or public advocacy for terrorist activity or a terrorist organization” can be grounds for visa rejection. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/28/student-visa-applications-denials I'm going to suggest to the State Department a list of questions that are absolutely foolproof in detecting pro-Hamas and other pro-terrorist students. "Yes" or "No" are the only answers allowed; no lengthy explanations are acceptable. 1) Is Hamas a terrorist group? 2) Does Israel have the right to exist behind secure borders as a sovereign state and homeland of the world's Jews? 3) Do you unreservedly condemn the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, as terrorist actions and war crimes without provocation or justification? 4) Should U.S. institutions of higher learning support boycotts, divestment and sanctions against Israel? And because it is necessary to deny entry to the U.S. to other violent Islamists and jihadis besides Hamas, consular officers should ask these questions as well: 5) Is violent jihad ever justified against U.S. citizens, including those with dual citizenship in Israel and U.S. military serving abroad? 6) Should Salman Rushdie be allowed to lecture about or read from The Satanic Verses at U.S. institutions? 7) Should U.S. universities and other institutions, public or private, be allowed to hold exhibits of the Danish Muhammad cartoons? 8) Does Sharia law based on the Quran supersede secular law for Muslims in the U.S.? 9) Do Jews as a group have disproportionate or unfair influence over the economy, politics and other aspects of public life in the U.S.? 10) Do you have any qualms about attending class or taking part in campus activities with Israeli and other Jewish students? Of course, these questions would be asked in addition to the normal pre-visa vetting process, which includes questions about membership in terrorist groups, previous criminal activity, etc.

No such law exists or has ever existed in Thailand. That's an urban myth which pre-dates the Internet. The Thai Criminal Code, under Petty Offenses, states in Section 388: Whoever, doing any shameful act in public by indecently exposing oneself’s person, or by committing any other act of obscenity shall be liable to a fine not exceeding five hundred Baht. https://www.legal.co.th/resources/thailand-criminal-code/book3/thailand-criminal-code-page-70-book-iii-petty-offences-section-376-385/ It's a real stretch to think that makes illegal the failure to wear underclothing beneath outer clothing. The "commando connection" supposedly came when a female farang tourist wasn't wearing a bra beneath a sheer blouse in public. An unconfirmed story I heard back in the 1980s said she was arrested for indecent exposure, hence the notion it's illegal not to wear underwear. That story has been repeatedly numerous times on the Internet, sometimes sarcastically, sometimes as fact. But it has never been true.