Understanding the US - Again

[chetak]

enemies have neither been forgotten nor forgiven, and pax amrikana, it still reigns supreme

Sat, March 15th 2025

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), in coordination with Iraqi intelligence, conducted a precision airstrike in Al Anbar Province, Iraq, eliminating ISIS chief Abu Khadijah.

Identified as one of the most dangerous terrorists globally, Abu Khadijah was the emir of ISIS' senior decision-making body, responsible for global operations and logistics

https://thenationaldesk.com/news/americ ... ister-says

President Donald Trump said a prominent leader of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, which is commonly known as ISIS, was "relentlessly hunted down" and killed in Iraq.

Trump on Friday shared a Truth Social post about the death of Abdallah Maki Mosleh al-Rifai, whose alias was "Abu Khadija."

[Manish_P]

enemies have neither been forgotten nor forgiven, and pax amrikana, still reigns supreme
....

Birthed by one US government, eliminated by another US government....

[drnayar]

enemies have neither been forgotten nor forgiven, and pax amrikana, still reigns supreme
....

Birthed by one US government, eliminated by another US government....

quite right .. being an ally of US is fatal

[KL Dubey]

. Currently Columbia is threatened by US sarkar with loss of federal funding (I think well north of $1 bn/yr) due to the lack of action on campus anti-semitism....let us see if this brings them to sense. I do know they are ready to litigate with plenty of money and lawyers.
...

Meanwhile per "Many people" :
A bitter dispute is brewing among Columbia University faculty members following funding cuts.
Two Sides Emerge:
Scientists, who rely heavily on grants to fund their research, are concerned about losing vital funding.
Scholar-activists in the humanities, with less reliance on grant money, are supporting the protests ..

Yes, this is the same information that I have. It's a "JNU" type situation...the vast majority of researchers in these universities are not into any of this "wokeism" business, but a section of the humanities and some social sciences dominates the narrative and often the administration, leading to these universities getting a woke reputation.

Among the large private universities, MIT, Stanford, and Caltech have done a pretty good job by not letting pro-Palestine protests to go out of control.

At this point, I would say Johns Hopkins is in the worst shape. JHU has been the largest R&D operation in the USA (and quite possibly the world). Now they are losing/may lose about $1 bn in federal funds, plus are under anti-semitism investigation. It turns out USAID concentrated a lot of their "science/tech-based" operations at JHU, and $800 mn has now been cut and > 2000 people laid off. On top of that they may lose another $200 mn due to NIH indirect cost cuts (this has been blocked in federal court for now, not sure what happens next).

Large public universities also have a mixed record. In general, universities run by technocrats/STEM people and those in red/purple states (i.e. typically more conservative boards of regents) have fared a lot better in handling this.

This tussle is yet another embodiment of "commie wokeism" versus "abrahamic cretinism" playing out time and again. Unless Dharma is embraced, it will be an endless cycle leading to ruin.

[Kati]

Meanwhile per "Many people" :
A bitter dispute is brewing among Columbia University faculty members following funding cuts.
Two Sides Emerge:
Scientists, who rely heavily on grants to fund their research, are concerned about losing vital funding.
Scholar-activists in the humanities, with less reliance on grant money, are supporting the protests ..

Yes, this is the same information that I have. It's a "JNU" type situation...the vast majority of researchers in these universities are not into any of this "wokeism" business, but a section of the humanities and some social sciences dominates the narrative and often the administration, leading to these universities getting a woke reputation.

Among the large private universities, MIT, Stanford, and Caltech have done a pretty good job by not letting pro-Palestine protests to go out of control.

At this point, I would say Johns Hopkins is in the worst shape. JHU has been the largest R&D operation in the USA (and quite possibly the world). Now they are losing/may lose about $1 bn in federal funds, plus are under anti-semitism investigation. It turns out USAID concentrated a lot of their "science/tech-based" operations at JHU, and $800 mn has now been cut and > 2000 people laid off. On top of that they may lose another $200 mn due to NIH indirect cost cuts (this has been blocked in federal court for now, not sure what happens next).

Large public universities also have a mixed record. In general, universities run by technocrats/STEM people and those in red/purple states (i.e. typically more conservative boards of regents) have fared a lot better in handling this.

This tussle is yet another embodiment of "commie wokeism" versus "abrahamic cretinism" playing out time and again. Unless Dharma is embraced, it will be an endless cycle leading to ruin.

Some first-hand info:

Johns Hopkins U (JHU) has one of the best International Relations program which feeds the US foreign service and hence the state dept. No wonder JHU received a huge amount of money through USAID to meddle in other countries' affairs in the name of "research". More than the NIH cuts, it is this USAID cut that is paralyzing JHU, so much so that they are now terminating 2000+ jobs.

[KL Dubey]

^^For context: 90% of these personnel cuts are occurring outside the US in their international health organization (Jhpiego) and related entities. Actual R&D in Baltimore would not be much affected, other than the NIH cuts. JHU does have deep pockets to absorb much of this for now. I hope they are able to re-orient/return this infrastructure to actual R&D.

https://hub.jhu.edu/2025/03/14/johns-ho ... al-health/

This has resulted in the loss of more than 2,200 jobs—1,975 positions in 44 countries and another 247 positions in the U.S., most of them in Baltimore. An additional 29 international and 78 domestic employees will be furloughed with a reduced schedule.

On a personal note: Many years ago I had the opportunity to start my career at JHU. On my visits I was struck by the impressive scale of bioX/med-related R&D. Administrators knew very little about working with agencies other than NIH and bio-med related organizations/companies. They wanted to quickly grow "non-bio" R&D. It was a great opportunity to strike new roots but I didn't take it due to several better options. Great university, I hope they recover and introspect.

[bala]

This may not be the thread but US has proposed that the Gazans relocate to either Sudan or Somalia. Sudan is south of Egypt. Somalia and Sudan are Islamic African nations with Sharia law. Both Jordan and Egypt were getting $ Bs of aid from US. They are refusing to take the Palestinians (and so are other Islamic nations!) and DJT is reaching out to Sudan and Somalia. If they agree, not a pipsqueak from the Islamic nations. Actually Somalia has great areas in the gulf of Aden similar to Gaza. The Aid from Jordan and Egypt can be repurposed for whichever nation accepts these refugees. Kinda of a brilliant solution. (Maybe Rohingyas can go to these nations!).

DJT with Putin will hammer out an Iran Nuke deal, since both of them do not want a nuclear nation called Iran. Maybe Russia takes control of all Iranian nuclear plants.

Apparently Russia has imposed on China a “recycling fee” for every car imported from China with $7,500/- per car. Not import duty or tariff. Most Chinese cars break down after 1-2 yr operation in the harsh climates of Russia. China has overproduced cars, and even in China massive parking lots are filled with junk unsold cars.

On Pukis:
The writing is on the wall, no more china influence in their nation. The BLA is hammering away from the West and China is looking at a huge debt trap for its BRI initiative worldwide. Blackrock has control of Karachi Port via its acquisition from CKHuchinson of HongKong (bought out at $ 23B ). Also Blackrock picked up Adani's 750 Million debt tab, and the ports that Adani has includes Israel's Haifa port (will play a role in IMEC corridor). IMEC is going to happen very soon after the Gaza settlement.

youtube.com/watch?v=xfDjnpm4oOQ

[Amber G.]

Meanwhile:
A new travel ban policy which includes 3 lists & 43 countries
Complete travel bans: 11 countries
Sharp visa restrictions: 10 countries
60-day period for 22 countries to address visa concerns

<from> New York Times
Why Bhutan?

[ernest]

I find the US to be the least racist country among the five countries I had visited/lived for some time - The Netherlands, Switzerland, UK, Canada, and the US. In the US, east europeans are more racist towards Indian origin folks than even the so called "red necks" midwesterners who actually are quite nice.

My experience in Canada has been the worst. Literally people have said,"we do not want you here", out of nowhere. Visit any major Canadian subreddit, and you'll find racism against Indians does not attract any action, sometimes even welcomed. US is way less racist to its credit, despite the media portrayal.

[sanjaykumar]

I am sorry to learn of your experience in Canada. I hope that was not recently. That is in the past 25 yrs.

But yes the US is almost certainly less racist. The reputation comes from its black citizens. There is a significant differential in the American response with different peoples. I can’t quite understand it. It is like the phobia that the Brits have about Russia or Pakistanis about Hindus.

[vimal]

Meanwhile:
A new travel ban policy which includes 3 lists & 43 countries
Complete travel bans: 11 countries
Sharp visa restrictions: 10 countries
60-day period for 22 countries to address visa concerns

<from> New York Times
Why Bhutan?

Pakistan should be in the complete ban list.
Bhutan has a very high percentage of overstays and refuses to accept illegal immigrants back from the US.

[bala]

The reasons why the US needs tariffs on foreign goods. China is in the cross-hair. When US was a manufacturing giant long ago 1950s etc, the GDP was controlled by the middle class. However when manufacturing went to foreign shores, the GDP was controlled only by the wealthy i.e. shifted from middle class to high income wealthy (top 20%) residents of US. DJT is deeming certain things are fundamental and he does not want to depend on say China for basics. China is into mass manufacturing with low cost labor and is now moving up the chain. Then there is the global role of mighty dollar as currency for the world. These factors make everything a bit more complex to navigate. Don't know whether tariffs alone will solve the DJT ask of non-dependence on China for basics.

youtube.com/watch?v=6hYniUzYVYM

[Cyrano]

Bala Saar,

US has proposed that the Gazans relocate to either Sudan or Somalia. Sudan is south of Egypt. Somalia and Sudan are Islamic African nations with Sharia law.

Not sure if this will work at all. Skin colours are different, they could belong to different Islamic firkaas as well. If they give up victim hood, violence and terrorism then the global publicity and funds pouring in will stop and they will have to work an honest day to make a living, something they haven't done for several generations now.

[A Deshmukh]

<from> New York Times: Why Bhutan?

Some dots, are they connected?
. Bhutan has a large holdings of Bitcoins.
. Somebody in US (DS/Trumpwa) manipulating the Bitcoin.
<spec>Travel ban may be a pressure tactic to relinquish these Bitcoins.</spec>

[vera_k]

Will the UN get evicted next?
The U.N. Is Ripping America Off in New York

Trump should reopen the 1947 agreement locating its headquarters. It was a terrible real-estate deal.

Time to Call for More Democratic, Inclusive Global Institution

[Kati]

Bala Saar,

US has proposed that the Gazans relocate to either Sudan or Somalia. Sudan is south of Egypt. Somalia and Sudan are Islamic African nations with Sharia law.

Not sure if this will work at all. Skin colours are different, they could belong to different Islamic firkaas as well. If they give up victim hood, violence and terrorism then the global publicity and funds pouring in will stop and they will have to work an honest day to make a living, something they haven't done for several generations now.

Going by the media reports, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Somali Land have already said a Big "No" to this relocation idea.

[Kati]

After Columbia arrests, international college students fall silent
https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/aft ... -119825212


Someone with X handle please tag this to NYT.....
I wonder where is their South Asian reporter Mujib Mashal who never misses an opportunity to write negative articles on Bharath / Mudi Gormint.

[Kati]

Trump demands admissions overhaul and control of academic department at Columbia University

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/ ... university


[Just imagine if Mudi had demanded the same for JNU then how the international "free media" would have hyperventilated.]

[bala]

Less of propagandu from the US for the world at large.

Claim is 1300 Voice of America employees placed on indefinite leave.

youtube.com/watch?v=FmkxUYoZxVg

[bala]

-- del --

[Kati]

'Bloody Saturday' at Voice of America and other U.S.-funded networks

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/15/nx-s1-53 ... -kari-lake

[KL Dubey]

Overthinking it. The motivation is to reduce all types of immigration to the USA, legal or otherwise. With carveouts for favored types of course. None of this is new agenda. Just that people pushing the agenda haven't been in a position of influence yet.

This is the same EB-5 quota....10,000 per year but actual admissions were much fewer than that.

If its an attempt at restriction then its easy to understand. But I posted because Lattu says (in cabinet meeting) he plans to rake in $1 tn from this. My post explored how that would work...given it is the "same product" at higher cost. Maybe it is just "spin" (i.e. lattu) and nothing more to be said absent further info.

[Cyrano]

[vera_k]

This is the same EB-5 quota....10,000 per year but actual admissions were much fewer than that.

If its an attempt at restriction then its easy to understand. But I posted because Lattu says (in cabinet meeting) he plans to rake in $1 tn from this. My post explored how that would work...given it is the "same product" at higher cost. Maybe it is just "spin" (i.e. lattu) and nothing more to be said absent further info.

There's a waiting period of a few years for people from India or China looking to take advantage of the EB5 program. My take is that the threshold is being raised since the wrong kind of people are now packing this program. Time will tell if I am right, but that's what it looks like from the outside.

[Vayutuvan]

Bhutan is placed on the Trump's red list along with Afghanistan. No visas. Do they even know where Bhutan is? Pakistan is on Orange list. These appear to be preliminary.
NY Times

saip gaaru, What do you think?!!! You seem to be falling for the oft repeated stereotype of average amru not knowing world geography. Now do the average college student in Delhi, leave alone Gunturu/Nellore/Vijayawada. What say saaru vaaru?

[Vayutuvan]

Great university, I hope they recover and introspect.

"Great university" where the students actually destroy each other's data. My daughter refused to even apply to JHU, chose to go to WashU, St. Louis for UG, Northwestern for PhD in neuro-sciences and now doing a two year NIH funded postdoc there. She is mad that Trump's cuts might curtail her post-doc to one year only. It is a tough situation for the elite but then Trump got the votes from the very same people who paid my daughter to do what she wanted for six years and now the two year postdoc. I told her not to be elitist and not complain.

Some of the older BRF folks here, who should know better, are whining a lot more than she did. They also wish ill for the poor folks just because they were cheated by some researchers out of credit that should have been theirs or something like that.

Yes, it happens not only in the US but more so in India. 100%. Same in Europe too. Chinese researchers and Silly-valley people are utter sociopaths when it comes to patent stealing, stolen credit, and other stuff.

JHU's competitors like UCSD, WUSTL, Northwestern, Duke etc all would be ecstatic that get they can get those funds if JHU goes down the crapper.

The US is a capitalist meritocracy. People should suck it up and deal with that fact.

[Vayutuvan]

Going by the media reports, Sudan, South Sudan, Somalia and Somali Land have already said a Big "No" to this relocation idea.

Kati ji, then US will cut aid to those countries. What exactly are they giving back to the US other than send Ilhan Omar types to MN?

[vijayk]

[Amber G.]

It's not only Columbia - Why these will protest for. Gaza.
1) Ranjani Srinivasan, a student from Columbia University in the USA, has self-deported to India, after her visa was revoked for supporting Hamas.
2) Riddhi Patel, a pro-Hamas protester, was arrested last year in the USA for threatening to kill a mayor and city council members.
3) PhD student Prahlad lyengar barred from entering the MIT campus & reportedly suspended him violence & using terrorist imagery in an essay he wrote in the student magazine the "Written Revolution." He ended up losing his 5-year NSF fellowship.
4) Sriram Parasurama, an Indian origin US citizen and a 2nd-year PhD in the School of Integrative Plant Science at Cornell University. He is suspended from Cornell and banned from campus for 3 years for participating in a pro-Gaza protest that disrupted a career fair. He has lost funding, his healthcare and his pay and also his National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship is in danger.

[Hriday]

Amy Mek of RAIR Foundation writes, see the short video in the link below.

https://x.com/AmyMek/status/19014051024 ... D7k6A&s=19

CENSORSHIP ALERT!

Why did @X just erase my pinned tweet on EPIC City in Texas—the very project I’ve been exposing for weeks?

This post had over 7 MILLION views and even got a response from the Governor of Texas.

@elonmusk @support—Can you explain this?

Texas is under siege by a Sharia-controlled enclave, and now my reporting is being silenced.

Fix this NOW!

https://x.com/AmyMek/status/19014472897 ... M08xg&s=19

This is what my original post said before @X erased it:

ALERT TEXAS!

A 402-Acre Sharia City is Being Built in Texas—And YOU Are Helping Fund It!

America, wake up. A massive 402-acre Sharia enclave is rising in Josephine, Texas—and the U.S. government is effectively subsidizing it.

(Who is selling them this land - who is approving this project - who has approved this zoning)

Radical imam Yasir Qadhi and his cohorts are building "EPIC City"—a walled-off Islamic community built around Sharia, not American values.

There will be thousands of homes and here is how you are YOU are supporting it:

Every homebuyer contributes to funding the mosque and Islamic school.
Because of this setup, buyers get a TAX DEDUCTION—meaning the government is indirectly helping to fund its construction.
This isn’t just housing—it’s a religious-political expansion, and YOU are aiding this project!

Welcome to EPIC City: America’s First Fully Functioning Sharia Town

- A mega-mosque & Islamic school—indoctrinating the next generation.
- Parks for mass Eid prayer gatherings & Islamic festivals.
- A self-contained Islamic economy & infrastructure, designed to keep non-Muslims out.
- A “community” centered around political Islam—not assimilation into America.

And they aren’t hiding their agenda:

"Epic will be the epicenter of Islam in America."
"Bringing Islam to the forefront."
"A meticulously designed community that celebrates our values."

I have already exposed the radicals behind this project, and the GOP is doing nothing to stop this!

How did the City Council in Josephine, Texas, approve this Sharia Project?!

Thank you to the person who archived it: archive.vn/o9XOD#selectio…

After our explosive exposé on Houston’s massive mega mosque/compound—the CLEAR LAKE ISLAMIC CENTER—we finally got a response!

Texas officials finally spoke out!

Guess what they had to say about their leader, Shaykh Waleed Basyouni, who does not believe Hamas is a terrorist organization and has promoted anti-Western, extremist ideology?

Guess what they said about their Imam Sheikh Kamal El Mekki, who preaches:

Women’s subjugation under Islam
Labeling gay people as “mentally ill”
Justifying Sharia punishments for crimes
Defending child marriage & domestic abuse
Promoting polygamy & so-called “honor” killings

[bala]

US Intel Chief Tulsi Gabbard's Raisina Dialogue 2025 outstanding speech. She starts with "Jai Shri Krishna". She has clarity of thought and leadership qualities, moreover, a deep respect and love towards India and its spiritual culture. The world requires more thoughtful leaders with a core of values. Her Shraddha (firm in-born conviction) is a harbinger of brighter days for both US and India.

youtube.com/watch?v=5iV_w_39C20

[drnayar]

US Intel Chief Tulsi Gabbard's Raisina Dialogue 2025 outstanding speech. She starts with "Jai Shri Krishna". She has clarity of thought and leadership qualities, moreover, a deep respect and love towards India and its spiritual culture. The world requires more thoughtful leaders with a core of values. Her Shraddha (firm in-born conviction) is a harbinger of brighter days for both US and India.

youtube.com/watch?v=5iV_w_39C20

its certainly a pleasure to watch grounded people like her in positions of power.

[Amber G.]

Texas Senate passes its FIRST-EVER Holi resolution!
Texas becomes the third state after Georgia and New York to recognize Holi celebrating unity, color, and the spirit of inclusion!
Happy Holi!

[Cyrano]

SpaceX Falcon 9 brings back the stranded crew safely to earth! For some reason they keep calling Sunita Williams as Suni/Sunny! Which is funny...

[Cyrano]

The Kennedy files have been released, all 80k pages without redaction. Some quick readers on the web are claiming that Israel is behind it, because JFK wanted to control their nuclear weapons program....

[drnayar]

The Kennedy files have been released, all 80k pages without redaction. Some quick readers on the web are claiming that Israel is behind it, because JFK wanted to control their nuclear weapons program....

Mossad + CIA and the American mil ind complex .. we all knew it has to be ..but the real extent has to be seen... never thought American president s can be under lots of pressure from interested parties.. especially financial manipulators like the rothschilds

[drnayar]

CIA s field offices in India.
*NEW DELHI
*CALCUTTA

CIA 'secret bases' worldwide exposed by JFK Files

[Manish_P]

SpaceX Falcon 9 brings back the stranded crew safely to earth! For some reason they keep calling Sunita Williams as Suni/Sunny! Which is funny...

Her X handle is Astro_Suni

[vijayk]

[Cyrano]

I find it fascinating that what Musk did can only happen in the US and perhaps in no other country on the planet.