There are many other Democrats fighting back, but you must be aware that NONE of the corporate networks cover them or the real issues. It's not just Fox, it's ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN ... all sellouts.
The Contrarian has a lot of great content, but so does MeidasTouch, with lots of videos, including with representatives and senators, on YouTube, and tons of content on Substack.
Just one example before I head off for dinner … Chris van Hollen, Google him & remember that he travelled to Mr. Garcia in jail, had to fight to get to see him … and with the resulting publicity helped get him brought back to the U.S. … and he’s a linchpin case.
There have been other such efforts, but I haven’t been chronicling them.
In addition to illegally renditioning people who aren't criminals or gang members, Trump arranged a prisoner swap with Venezuela that included an actual convicted triple murderer. Dahud Hanid Ortiz, an ex-marine, was convicted in Venezuela [where he fled] after murdering 3 people in Spain and setting the building on fire to hide his crimes.
No wonder other countries are issuing travel warnings against coming to the US.
Some good “wins”. Glad I’m supporting The Contrarians to keep up the pressure and fight for what’s right in our Country. Deb is right: we’re stronger together! Thanks for all you do.
Yes, writing it out that Epstein is one horrible cover up, lie ,damaging action of the head PINO.
All the horrendous cuts to our government, democracy and crimes against humanity to our immigrants just being guilty of seeking asylum, / better life.
What ever it takes to have GOP grow some gumshun and go for truth and search with in them selves. , when all the horrible stuff before hasn’t faved them… oiyeeeeeee
Good lord public servants DO THE RIGHT THING!,,,
Thanks Norm, you and Jen and the whole Contrarian crew give us hope and momentum. We will not be complacent.
“scandal, it dropped to a startling 37%. The American people don’t like targeting innocent immigrants, the Big, Brutal Betrayal, the crypto cash-in, the Trump-Epstein connection, and the corruption all of that exemplifies.”
And yet, apparently 37%…..incredibly…..DO approve! ONE-THIRD of all Americans! Isn’t that sad?! BEYOND sad?! Just incomprehensible……. Why? WHY would you vote for a bear who will chew off your own arm? Makes no sense!
Perhaps remember it is a cult thing. My take is that many bad preachers have been pounding into ignorant people's heads a reversal of good and bad such that these people cannot think for themselves. I saw a video (made for churches?) of Trump reading from a Bible and it just made me ill.
On Thursday's Coffee with the Contrarians, Jennifer Rubin brought up the 'catastrophe' in Gaza, and asked for Eisen's comment.
He started by saying "You and I are proud liberal Zionists" then went on to only moderately criticize Netanyahu (and only Netahyahu), while saying only that "the hostages need to come home" and "Trump has the power to bring home the hostages", and making one comment about the "loss of life". He then pivoted to talking about Turkey and Hungary.
He literally did not mention Palestinians even once in his response.
He said not a single word about the mass starvation that is being enforced on the Palestinian people by Israel. He said not a word about how US contractors and IDF solders are killing unarmed starving civilians who are trying to get food at "aid" sites every single day. He said "loss of life" in a passive tense, as if no one was directly responsible, with no mention of whose lives were being "lost". He made it clear his only real concern is for Israeli citizens. He said nothing of the hundreds of aid organizations practically screaming to stop this travesty right now.
He said nothing about not only the US power to stop this nightmare, or of the US's crucial (and bipartisan) role in this horrible war crime.
Neither him nor Rubin uttered the words "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing".
Eisen's answer was truly reprehensible. He showed no concern whatsoever for the massive atrocity intentionally created by the Israel and the US. He spoke as if the Palestinian people do not exist, as if Israel was not this moment starving children to death and shooting the survivors.
This is especially concerning since Eisen does do great work. It is really upsetting when otherwise progressive activists can so willfully turn a blind eye to such horror. It happens so often there is a name for it: PEP (progressive except Palestine).
It is crucially important that self-described "liberal Zionists" like Eisen and Rubin speak out loudly and clearly against the ongoing human horror now being intentionally perpetuated by Israel and the US, happening before our eyes.
I remember how the Jewish people, and all decent people, would say “Never Forget” regarding the atrocities of the Holocaust.
How can the Israeli government Forget as they decimate Gaza & civilians are shot and starve. They are the Subjectors now & are no better. History rhymes. Cruelty flourishes, at home & abroad. Kill it with kindness.
Jews, and we all, also say "Never Again." This phrase should not only mean Never again a Holocaust aimed at Jews, but Never again any Holocaust at all, regardless of the ethnicity or religion or race targeted. Including Palestinians.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I totally agree with you. It should mean "Never again "any" Holocaust at all, regardless of the ethnicity or religion or race targeted, including Palestinians".
It is just incredible that Norm Eisen literally does not even mention Palestinians at all in his comments.
There are of course many Jewish critics of Israel's actions, including some Israelis.
The noted Israeli American historian and genocide scholar said this recently in the NY Times:
'My inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. Having grown up in a Zionist home, lived the first half of my life in Israel, served in the I.D.F. as a soldier and officer and spent most of my career researching and writing on war crimes and the Holocaust, this was a painful conclusion to reach, and one that I resisted as long as I could. But I have been teaching classes on genocide for a quarter of a century. I can recognize one when I see one.
This is not just my conclusion. A growing number of experts in genocide studies and international law have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza can only be defined as genocide. So has Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, and Amnesty International. South Africa has brought a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.....
In November, a little more than a year into the war, the Israeli genocide scholar Shmuel Lederman joined the growing chorus of opinion that Israel was engaged in genocidal actions. The Canadian international lawyer William Schabas came to the same conclusion last year and has recently described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “absolutely” a genocide.
Other genocide experts, such as Melanie O’Brien, president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and the British specialist Martin Shaw (who has also said that the Hamas attack was genocidal), have reached the same conclusion, while the Australian scholar A. Dirk Moses of the City University of New York described these events in the Dutch publication NRC as a “mix of genocidal and military logic.” In the same article, Uğur Ümit Üngör, a professor at the Amsterdam-based NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, said there are probably scholars who still do not think it’s genocide, but “I don’t know them.”'
I think there are Jews who fear that to call what Israel is doing in Gaza a war crime or genocide, will somehow normalize antisemitism. (Or lead to their being called collaborators in antisemitism by other Jews.) Of course that doesn’t follow and wouldn't be justified at all; responsible commentators would address this as forcefully as they address Israel’s Gazan war crimes.
But none more than Palestinian (or Arab, or Muslim) critics in Israel and in the US, who risk being fired, expelled, or much worse, as we have clearly seen here in the past few months.
It is incredible the level of attacks one faces in this country for voicing support for Palestinians, (and again, it is far worse for Palestinian critics than for anyone else). There are so many examples I can't list them all. I know it is far worse in Israel.
But yes, you are right about that, there is no shortage of comments about 'self-hating Jews' who dare to criticize Israel's actions.
And the poor Palestinians ask “Why isn’t the world doing anything? Don’t they SEE what is happening to us? Don’t they care?”
I wish they knew that many people DO care, and have put their safety & well-being at risk on their behalf.
Re: the ‘never again’ scenario & history repeating itself … I’ve never studied the history of Naziism & the thinking that citizens adopted in order to make peace with their acquiesce to the horrors … but it looks like we have this in motion today, our updated version … a great pity.
I think some probably do see that...I am sure some heard about the Handala flotilla, just raided today in international waters by the IDF for the crime of trying to bring baby formula to Gaza...
But, I am sure they also see the US government continuing to send weapons to Israel and continue to thwart international efforts to stop the carnage, They see the indicted war criminal Netanyahu take chummy photos with Democratic and Republic leaders...
Yes, I caught that comment and in the live chat asked "What is a liberal Zionist?" Eisen is indeed doing great legal work. But under the leadership of war-criminal Netanyahu, Israel is itself committing war crimes up to and including genocide. I cannot understand how any Jew thinks this is the way to model Judaism's values or honor Holocaust survivors. Even Norm and Jen seem to trace all the problems to October 7th 2023, overlooking the simmering role that Israel's illegal occupations of the West Bank and Gaza beginning in 1967 had in the attack.
Every time I re-listen to that bit of conversation (it's only two minutes) it's worse.
Eisen only mentions Netanyahu...not the Knesset, who just the other day voted to entirely annex the West Bank...not even more abhorrent Israeli leaders who outright openly call for the complete ethnic cleansing of all the Occupied Territories..not the IDF leaders and solders who are murdering civilians every day...not the lynch mob style 'settlers', a gang of whom last week beat an American citizen to death in the West Bank...
He says that Netanyahu needs to live up to "Israel values"...what values are those?
Then he mentions "compassion" as if some bad thing is happening that just needs a little love and tenderness...not a horrible, nightmarish slaughter that is fully intentional and can only happen with the support and direct involvement of the US.
It's telling too, that most of the two minutes given to this topic are spent deriding activists for protesting Democrats and Biden, and not targeting Trump enough. Rubin makes the absolutely absurd complaint that we aren't seeing the same level of protests on campuses now...as if the mass expulsions, suspensions, arrests, detentions and deportations and total clampdown on free speech by schools across the country have not had an effect.
They literally spend more time complaining about these activists than about Israel's war crimes.
Guess we all have a blind spot, but this is a terrible time & place for that particular one. Difficult to fight the good fight on SO many fronts.
I thought Trump wd press Netanyahu for a peace deal, so that Trump cd then put himself in line for a ‘Noble’ prize … but he seems to have caved on that with both Israel & Ukraine … to the point of telling both Putin & Netanyahu (at various times & by his actions) to ‘just get it done/ over with’.
And with Netanyahu needing Ben Gvir & Smotrich’s support to stay in power & out of jail … he must acquiesce to their far right & extremist religion-based demands. The G7 et al voice their displeasure, to no avail …
It's hard to know what the president wants more: the Nobel Peace Prize, which would require pressuring Netanyahu to cave, or the right to develop Gaza, which would mean allowing Netanyahu to cleanse Gaza. Greed for money vs. Jealousy of Obama: whch will dictate DJT's Mideast policy?
Your work for immigrant rights is outstanding. They need help and you're there to offer help. The inhumane immigrant situation we have going on at this time is horrific. You are very much appreciated.
I would like to see the Democrats come out fighting like dogs when they're defending there territory. Its necessary to take a stand for the people. Now is the time. What are we waiting for.
You are my hero, Norm - you, Jen, your guests, The Contrarians community - your brilliance, hard work, clarity, and joy inspire me to be brave and advocate for children.
It seems to me that it is well PAST time for Barack Obama and the Democratic party TO TAKE THE GLOVES OFF and start what is promising to be a very hard fight to reclaim democracy for America.
They will probably have to resort to the use of spiked brass knuckles!
It's time to repair due process rights damage. Somehow, somewhere it was decided that executive branch hearings do not convey due process rights and a right to legal representation. The key counter argument is that judgements are (A) enforceable and (B) potentially severe. That should be the test for the right to challenge what would otherwise be a simple and final reading of executive decree that is devoid of the requirement to be based on fair evaluation of evidence that can be challenged by competent representation. How is it that detention hearings are even afforded the title of Civil cases? They are not run by the Judicial Branch. How does Habeas Corpus apply to executive branch "hearings"? SCOTUS says it does but does not clarify or explain.
Thank you, Norm, fellow Contrarians and Substackers. We are stronger together 🫂.
Thank you , Norm, for your diligent work for justice!!
Yes, we should first support The Contrarians before DEMs who seem at a loss.
Many Dems are actually working their buns off!
Doing what they can with what limited power the voters gave them.
Thanks for insight. I wish they would come out visibly. I only see AOC running around. What is their concerted pushback?
There are many other Democrats fighting back, but you must be aware that NONE of the corporate networks cover them or the real issues. It's not just Fox, it's ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN ... all sellouts.
The Contrarian has a lot of great content, but so does MeidasTouch, with lots of videos, including with representatives and senators, on YouTube, and tons of content on Substack.
Thank you for suggesting MeidasTouch. I am not aware of it.
Just one example before I head off for dinner … Chris van Hollen, Google him & remember that he travelled to Mr. Garcia in jail, had to fight to get to see him … and with the resulting publicity helped get him brought back to the U.S. … and he’s a linchpin case.
There have been other such efforts, but I haven’t been chronicling them.
Thanks. Enjoy dinner and great evening.
In addition to illegally renditioning people who aren't criminals or gang members, Trump arranged a prisoner swap with Venezuela that included an actual convicted triple murderer. Dahud Hanid Ortiz, an ex-marine, was convicted in Venezuela [where he fled] after murdering 3 people in Spain and setting the building on fire to hide his crimes.
No wonder other countries are issuing travel warnings against coming to the US.
Yes I heard about this triple murderer walking US streets thanks to Trump. Hello, Democrats: trumpet this in ads (how about some billboards).
YES! ^THIS^
Some good “wins”. Glad I’m supporting The Contrarians to keep up the pressure and fight for what’s right in our Country. Deb is right: we’re stronger together! Thanks for all you do.
Fabulous recap, Norm. Thank you for your hard work.
Yes, writing it out that Epstein is one horrible cover up, lie ,damaging action of the head PINO.
All the horrendous cuts to our government, democracy and crimes against humanity to our immigrants just being guilty of seeking asylum, / better life.
What ever it takes to have GOP grow some gumshun and go for truth and search with in them selves. , when all the horrible stuff before hasn’t faved them… oiyeeeeeee
Good lord public servants DO THE RIGHT THING!,,,
Thanks Norm, you and Jen and the whole Contrarian crew give us hope and momentum. We will not be complacent.
Go Norm!!!!
“scandal, it dropped to a startling 37%. The American people don’t like targeting innocent immigrants, the Big, Brutal Betrayal, the crypto cash-in, the Trump-Epstein connection, and the corruption all of that exemplifies.”
And yet, apparently 37%…..incredibly…..DO approve! ONE-THIRD of all Americans! Isn’t that sad?! BEYOND sad?! Just incomprehensible……. Why? WHY would you vote for a bear who will chew off your own arm? Makes no sense!
Perhaps remember it is a cult thing. My take is that many bad preachers have been pounding into ignorant people's heads a reversal of good and bad such that these people cannot think for themselves. I saw a video (made for churches?) of Trump reading from a Bible and it just made me ill.
I blame FOX ‘news’ more than even their hijacking of religion.
These people rarely think for themselves & are also likely racist.
The beauty of the Tort Claim case is that it is not ….unless the Supers dare sink so low…impacted by the criminal immunity decision.
On Thursday's Coffee with the Contrarians, Jennifer Rubin brought up the 'catastrophe' in Gaza, and asked for Eisen's comment.
He started by saying "You and I are proud liberal Zionists" then went on to only moderately criticize Netanyahu (and only Netahyahu), while saying only that "the hostages need to come home" and "Trump has the power to bring home the hostages", and making one comment about the "loss of life". He then pivoted to talking about Turkey and Hungary.
He literally did not mention Palestinians even once in his response.
He said not a single word about the mass starvation that is being enforced on the Palestinian people by Israel. He said not a word about how US contractors and IDF solders are killing unarmed starving civilians who are trying to get food at "aid" sites every single day. He said "loss of life" in a passive tense, as if no one was directly responsible, with no mention of whose lives were being "lost". He made it clear his only real concern is for Israeli citizens. He said nothing of the hundreds of aid organizations practically screaming to stop this travesty right now.
He said nothing about not only the US power to stop this nightmare, or of the US's crucial (and bipartisan) role in this horrible war crime.
Neither him nor Rubin uttered the words "genocide" or "ethnic cleansing".
Eisen's answer was truly reprehensible. He showed no concern whatsoever for the massive atrocity intentionally created by the Israel and the US. He spoke as if the Palestinian people do not exist, as if Israel was not this moment starving children to death and shooting the survivors.
This is especially concerning since Eisen does do great work. It is really upsetting when otherwise progressive activists can so willfully turn a blind eye to such horror. It happens so often there is a name for it: PEP (progressive except Palestine).
It is crucially important that self-described "liberal Zionists" like Eisen and Rubin speak out loudly and clearly against the ongoing human horror now being intentionally perpetuated by Israel and the US, happening before our eyes.
I remember how the Jewish people, and all decent people, would say “Never Forget” regarding the atrocities of the Holocaust.
How can the Israeli government Forget as they decimate Gaza & civilians are shot and starve. They are the Subjectors now & are no better. History rhymes. Cruelty flourishes, at home & abroad. Kill it with kindness.
Jews, and we all, also say "Never Again." This phrase should not only mean Never again a Holocaust aimed at Jews, but Never again any Holocaust at all, regardless of the ethnicity or religion or race targeted. Including Palestinians.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I totally agree with you. It should mean "Never again "any" Holocaust at all, regardless of the ethnicity or religion or race targeted, including Palestinians".
Thank you.
It is just incredible that Norm Eisen literally does not even mention Palestinians at all in his comments.
There are of course many Jewish critics of Israel's actions, including some Israelis.
The noted Israeli American historian and genocide scholar said this recently in the NY Times:
'My inescapable conclusion has become that Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. Having grown up in a Zionist home, lived the first half of my life in Israel, served in the I.D.F. as a soldier and officer and spent most of my career researching and writing on war crimes and the Holocaust, this was a painful conclusion to reach, and one that I resisted as long as I could. But I have been teaching classes on genocide for a quarter of a century. I can recognize one when I see one.
This is not just my conclusion. A growing number of experts in genocide studies and international law have concluded that Israel’s actions in Gaza can only be defined as genocide. So has Francesca Albanese, the U.N. special rapporteur for the West Bank and Gaza, and Amnesty International. South Africa has brought a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice.....
In November, a little more than a year into the war, the Israeli genocide scholar Shmuel Lederman joined the growing chorus of opinion that Israel was engaged in genocidal actions. The Canadian international lawyer William Schabas came to the same conclusion last year and has recently described Israel’s military campaign in Gaza as “absolutely” a genocide.
Other genocide experts, such as Melanie O’Brien, president of the International Association of Genocide Scholars, and the British specialist Martin Shaw (who has also said that the Hamas attack was genocidal), have reached the same conclusion, while the Australian scholar A. Dirk Moses of the City University of New York described these events in the Dutch publication NRC as a “mix of genocidal and military logic.” In the same article, Uğur Ümit Üngör, a professor at the Amsterdam-based NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies, said there are probably scholars who still do not think it’s genocide, but “I don’t know them.”'
I think there are Jews who fear that to call what Israel is doing in Gaza a war crime or genocide, will somehow normalize antisemitism. (Or lead to their being called collaborators in antisemitism by other Jews.) Of course that doesn’t follow and wouldn't be justified at all; responsible commentators would address this as forcefully as they address Israel’s Gazan war crimes.
There is certainly a ton of fear all around.
But none more than Palestinian (or Arab, or Muslim) critics in Israel and in the US, who risk being fired, expelled, or much worse, as we have clearly seen here in the past few months.
It is incredible the level of attacks one faces in this country for voicing support for Palestinians, (and again, it is far worse for Palestinian critics than for anyone else). There are so many examples I can't list them all. I know it is far worse in Israel.
But yes, you are right about that, there is no shortage of comments about 'self-hating Jews' who dare to criticize Israel's actions.
And the poor Palestinians ask “Why isn’t the world doing anything? Don’t they SEE what is happening to us? Don’t they care?”
I wish they knew that many people DO care, and have put their safety & well-being at risk on their behalf.
Re: the ‘never again’ scenario & history repeating itself … I’ve never studied the history of Naziism & the thinking that citizens adopted in order to make peace with their acquiesce to the horrors … but it looks like we have this in motion today, our updated version … a great pity.
I think some probably do see that...I am sure some heard about the Handala flotilla, just raided today in international waters by the IDF for the crime of trying to bring baby formula to Gaza...
But, I am sure they also see the US government continuing to send weapons to Israel and continue to thwart international efforts to stop the carnage, They see the indicted war criminal Netanyahu take chummy photos with Democratic and Republic leaders...
Yes, I caught that comment and in the live chat asked "What is a liberal Zionist?" Eisen is indeed doing great legal work. But under the leadership of war-criminal Netanyahu, Israel is itself committing war crimes up to and including genocide. I cannot understand how any Jew thinks this is the way to model Judaism's values or honor Holocaust survivors. Even Norm and Jen seem to trace all the problems to October 7th 2023, overlooking the simmering role that Israel's illegal occupations of the West Bank and Gaza beginning in 1967 had in the attack.
Every time I re-listen to that bit of conversation (it's only two minutes) it's worse.
Eisen only mentions Netanyahu...not the Knesset, who just the other day voted to entirely annex the West Bank...not even more abhorrent Israeli leaders who outright openly call for the complete ethnic cleansing of all the Occupied Territories..not the IDF leaders and solders who are murdering civilians every day...not the lynch mob style 'settlers', a gang of whom last week beat an American citizen to death in the West Bank...
He says that Netanyahu needs to live up to "Israel values"...what values are those?
Then he mentions "compassion" as if some bad thing is happening that just needs a little love and tenderness...not a horrible, nightmarish slaughter that is fully intentional and can only happen with the support and direct involvement of the US.
It's telling too, that most of the two minutes given to this topic are spent deriding activists for protesting Democrats and Biden, and not targeting Trump enough. Rubin makes the absolutely absurd complaint that we aren't seeing the same level of protests on campuses now...as if the mass expulsions, suspensions, arrests, detentions and deportations and total clampdown on free speech by schools across the country have not had an effect.
They literally spend more time complaining about these activists than about Israel's war crimes.
Guess we all have a blind spot, but this is a terrible time & place for that particular one. Difficult to fight the good fight on SO many fronts.
I thought Trump wd press Netanyahu for a peace deal, so that Trump cd then put himself in line for a ‘Noble’ prize … but he seems to have caved on that with both Israel & Ukraine … to the point of telling both Putin & Netanyahu (at various times & by his actions) to ‘just get it done/ over with’.
And with Netanyahu needing Ben Gvir & Smotrich’s support to stay in power & out of jail … he must acquiesce to their far right & extremist religion-based demands. The G7 et al voice their displeasure, to no avail …
It's hard to know what the president wants more: the Nobel Peace Prize, which would require pressuring Netanyahu to cave, or the right to develop Gaza, which would mean allowing Netanyahu to cleanse Gaza. Greed for money vs. Jealousy of Obama: whch will dictate DJT's Mideast policy?
Amen.
Thank you, Mr. Eisen, for your stalwart work on behalf of justice! The round-up is super.
Your work for immigrant rights is outstanding. They need help and you're there to offer help. The inhumane immigrant situation we have going on at this time is horrific. You are very much appreciated.
I would like to see the Democrats come out fighting like dogs when they're defending there territory. Its necessary to take a stand for the people. Now is the time. What are we waiting for.
You are my hero, Norm - you, Jen, your guests, The Contrarians community - your brilliance, hard work, clarity, and joy inspire me to be brave and advocate for children.
Every.
Single.
Day.
They only grow up once. 💖💪
Thank you, Dr. D.
It seems to me that it is well PAST time for Barack Obama and the Democratic party TO TAKE THE GLOVES OFF and start what is promising to be a very hard fight to reclaim democracy for America.
They will probably have to resort to the use of spiked brass knuckles!
Thank you for all that you (and we) do together.
When evil is personified, good will not thrive unless action is brought to bear. This is what is happening now, and we must continue.
Contrarians….Thank you for your great public service! You are not alone! Many of us are supporting in ways big and small! We are in this together!
It's time to repair due process rights damage. Somehow, somewhere it was decided that executive branch hearings do not convey due process rights and a right to legal representation. The key counter argument is that judgements are (A) enforceable and (B) potentially severe. That should be the test for the right to challenge what would otherwise be a simple and final reading of executive decree that is devoid of the requirement to be based on fair evaluation of evidence that can be challenged by competent representation. How is it that detention hearings are even afforded the title of Civil cases? They are not run by the Judicial Branch. How does Habeas Corpus apply to executive branch "hearings"? SCOTUS says it does but does not clarify or explain.