Understanding the US - Again

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 16 Jun 2025 00:09

From wikipedia page of HA

Muslim Brotherhood allegations
Five Republican members of Congress (Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, Trent Franks of Arizona, Louie Gohmert of Texas, Thomas J. Rooney of Florida, and Lynn Westmoreland of Georgia) sent a letter dated June 13, 2012, to the State Department Inspector General. The letter claimed Abedin "has three family members—her late father, her mother and her brother—connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations."[42][43][44] The letter further alleged Abedin had "immediate family connections to foreign extremist organizations" which were "potentially disqualifying conditions for obtaining a security clearance" and questioned why Abedin had not been disqualified for a security clearance.[43]

The Washington Post editorial board called the allegations "paranoid", a "baseless attack", and a "smear".[42] The letter was also criticized by, among others, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Representative Keith Ellison, Democrat of Minnesota, the first Muslim member of Congress, who called the allegations "reprehensible".[45] Senator John McCain, Republican of Arizona, also rejected the allegations.[45] Bachmann's former campaign manager Ed Rollins said the allegations were "extreme and dishonest", and called for Bachmann to apologize to Abedin.[46]

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 16 Jun 2025 00:14

Hmm, I am hopeful that the older spouse has a moderating influence on the younger on matter other than bedroom. But that goes out the window if its not such a mellow umbrella. Needs watching.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 16 Jun 2025 17:53

On the Indian opinion of the US: Major Gaurav Arya has some unflattering views of Trump, but I'll just mention here that from the faces, slumped shoulders, gait, etc.., of the US soldiers, they were unwilling participants in Trump's army parade.
YouTube should start at that approximate point:

https://youtu.be/GZFKIcASECU?si=8bwqrG9L9wumStlb&t=976

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 16 Jun 2025 18:56

Vayutuvan wrote: ↑15 Jun 2025 23:40 Since it is Iran, DNC leaders have suddenly become pacifist. If it were to be Rossokies, they would be sending another $350 Billion Ukraine way. Tulsi Gabbard gets called a Putin puppet.

Oh, Huma Abedin and Alex Soros ties the knot yesterday - on Trump's b'day and "no kings" protests in Soros multi-million USD mansion in the Hamptons. They dated just for six weeks. AS is 38+ and HA is 49+. There is little chance that HA can have kids at this age.

Probably they had goods on each other and hence arranged a marriage to make Islamoaism official religion once KD ascends the throne of POTUS.

KD was there ofcourse.

Vogue did the photoshoot it seems. We will see the photos soon enough.

Who is KD?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 17 Jun 2025 04:37

The attention to the Boeing 787 is a reminder that the decline of US manufacturing is not just because of off-shoring and such; and that Trump's tariff program cannot by itself restore US manufacturing. A series of very influential US CEOs in various industries sacrificed engineering quality for profits. Various companies including Boeing have suffered under this.

A brief glimpse is here, for Boeing only, but it can be expanded to any number of other American corporations.

Boeing was once known for safety and engineering. But critics say an emphasis on profits changed that
https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/30/business ... f-problems

The Story of Boeing’s Failed Corporate Culture
https://www.cpajournal.com/2025/06/02/t ... e-culture/

What’s Gone Wrong at Boeing
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... re/677120/

Boeing was once among the most respected American companies. It helped NASA put a man on the moon. It built the 747, the most famous passenger airplane of all time. The firm’s reputation for safety and excellence was such that people used to say, “If it’s not Boeing, I’m not going”—and actually mean it. So what went wrong?

The answer that pretty much everyone arrived at after those two fatal crashes was the same: Boeing’s culture had changed. And here, the conventional wisdom is correct. For most of its history, Boeing had what you might call an engineering-centric culture, with power in the company resting in the hands of engineering and design. But in 1997, Boeing bought another aircraft manufacturer, McDonnell Douglas, in what turned out to be a kind of reverse acquisition—executives from McDonnell Douglas ended up dominating and remaking Boeing. They turned it from a company that was relentlessly focused on product to one more focused on profit.

The lesson for India is that while its low-labor-cost, etc., might make it an initial destination for manufacturing; but to sustain it, both profitability and engineering excellence need to be maintained.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 18 Jun 2025 01:54

Trump, who took the credit for India-Pak "cease fire" ..said this ..

but now ..Trump says we have nothing to do with attacks by Israel in Iran)

Next day he says US has complete control over the skies in Iran. Which version of Trump should people trust? No wonder Trump has failed to bring peace/ceasefire till now between Russia and Ukraine.

And some random tweets in last few days ..

...Trump lashes out at Macron for saying that he left G7 Summit in Canada for Washington DC to work on a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Trump says this has nothing to do with the ceasefire.

“Much bigger than that”

And
US President Donald Trump says US knows where Iran supreme leader is 'hiding' but won't kill him 'for now', calls for 'UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!'

But he is happy Putin wished him happy Birthday..

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 18 Jun 2025 03:38

The big @RutgersU @RUCSRR report calling Hindu advocacy an “ethnonationalist threat” was simply another CAIR backed IAMC attack using the @rutgers imprimatur along with pro-Khalistan proxies

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 18 Jun 2025 06:10

vijayk wrote: ↑16 Jun 2025 18:56 Who is KD?

Kamala Devi "KD" Harris. Since JD Vance's nickname is JD, mu nickname for Kamala Devi Harris is 'KD". The other is Baptist Harris as she adopted the religion of her father who was never there for her while rejecting her mother's religion. She discovered her HIndu roots immediately the day after Tulsi Gabbard announced her entering the Dem primary 2016 race.

Wikipedia added a lot of information about KD's putative love for Hinduism soon after TG's announcement. Rest is history. TG KOed KD out of 2016 primary even before primary voting began.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 18 Jun 2025 23:34

This is the New York mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, actively campaigning for votes on a Pakistani news channel known to be infiltrated by the ISI & militant outfits like Tehrik-i-Taliban.

His mother Mera Nair was born, brought-up and educated in India using India’s resources. His father was also born in India! The ability of such characters to back-stab is mind-boggling.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 19 Jun 2025 23:32

FIFA Club World Cup Ticket Sales TANK After DHS Says Agents Will Be At Stadium
Tickets to the opening match that were once $349 (and up) could be had for just $4.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fifa-clu ... 88af81/amp

saip · Post by **saip** » 19 Jun 2025 23:46

"...and told the outlet that all non-American citizens should carry proof of their legal status."

How will they know if you are an American Citizen if you are brown? Better carry your ID. '.. then they came for me and there was no one to help' has arrived sooner than I thought.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 20 Jun 2025 00:48

Verbatim transcript of Trump remarks show that he is quite coherent, contrary to those with Trump Derangement Syndrome.

https://rollcall.com/factbase/trump/tra ... e-18-2025/

Or does it?

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 20 Jun 2025 03:13

Amber G. wrote: ↑18 Jun 2025 23:34 This is the New York mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, actively campaigning for votes on a Pakistani news channel known to be infiltrated by the ISI & militant outfits like Tehrik-i-Taliban.

His mother Mera Nair was born, brought-up and educated in India using India’s resources. His father was also born in India! The ability of such characters to back-stab is mind-boggling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahmood_Mamdani: Father of Z. Mamdani.

He received a scholarship along with 26 other Ugandan students to study in the United States. He was part of the 1963 group of the Kennedy Airlift, a scholarship program that brought hundreds of East Africans to universities in the United States and Canada between 1959 and 1963.[8] The scholarships were part of the independence gift that the new nation had received.[9] Mamdani joined the University of Pittsburgh in 1963 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1967.

He was among the many students in the northern US who made the bus journey south to Montgomery, Alabama, organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in March 1965, to participate in the civil rights movement. This was during the time of but distinct from the Selma to Montgomery marches. He was jailed during the march and was allowed to make a phone call. Mamdani called the Ugandan Ambassador in Washington, D.C., for assistance. The ambassador asked him why he was "interfering in the internal affairs of a foreign country", to which he responded by saying that this was not an internal affair but a freedom struggle and that they too had gotten their freedom only last year.[10] Soon after, he learnt about Karl Marx's work from an FBI visit.[11]

He then attended The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts and graduated in 1968 with a Master of Arts in political science and Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy in 1969. He attained a Doctor of Philosophy in government from Harvard University in 1974. His thesis was titled Politics and Class Formation in Uganda.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shashi_Tharoor

In 1975, Tharoor graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from St Stephen's College at the University of Delhi, where he had been president of the student union and also founded the St. Stephen's Quiz Club.[13] Within the same year, Tharoor went to the United States to obtain an M.A. in International Relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University in Medford. After obtaining his M.A. in 1976, Tharoor further obtained his Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy in 1977 and his Ph.D. in International Relations and Affairs in 1978.[14] While he was pursuing his doctorate, Tharoor was awarded the Robert B. Stewart Prize for best student and was also the first editor of the Fletcher Forum of International Affairs.[15] At the age of 22, he was the youngest person to receive a doctorate in the history of the Fletcher School.[16]

Others from Tufts

Pierre Omidyar
Syed Refat Ahmed, 25th Chief Justice of Bangladesh
Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan
Musa Javed Chohan, former Pakistani Ambassador to France
Ismat Jahan, Bangladeshi Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN, former ambassador to the Netherlands
Liu Xiaoming, former Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom
Masud Bin Momen, Bangladeshi foreign secretary
Daniel Patrick Moynihan (B.A. 1948, M.A. 1949, Ph.D. 1961), U.S. Senator from New York (1977–2001) and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and India (Good guy - a friend of India. His daughter also is a great friend of India)
Iqbal Riza, former Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations for Peacekeeping and Pakistani diplomat
Shahryar Khan, former Foreign Secretary of Pakistan, author
Amartya Sen (Faculty)

But then Vannevar Bush was also an alum of Tufts.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 20 Jun 2025 03:22

The following people endorsed Z. Mamdani

AOC
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/0 ... e-00388946

The Bern
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/06/0 ... e-00388946

Bernie Sanders endorses Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor
ByEyewitness News WABC logo
Tuesday, June 17, 2
ABC News' Alex Presha reports 025 12:18PM
Bernie Sanders endorses Zohran Mamdani for NYC mayor
from Washington, D.C.
NEW YORK (WABC) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders endorsed Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, securing him the support of another of the country's leading progressives, one week ahead of the New York City mayoral primary election.

In a statement made Tuesday morning Sanders says, "We need a new politics and new leadership which is prepared to stand up to powerful corporate interests and fight for the working class.

"Zohran Mamdani is running an inspirational grassroots campaign, centered on the construction of 200,000 new affordable housing units, a rent freeze, free public buses, cutting fines and fees for small businesses, investing in citywide mental health services, city-owned grocery stores, universal free childcare and a minimum wage increase. He will pay for this agenda by asking corporations and the richest 1% of New Yorkers to pay their fair share in taxes.

"Unlike the corporate Democratic establishment, Zohran is funding his campaign largely through small-dollar donations, including more than 27,000 individual contributions.

"At this pivotal and dangerous moment in American history, status quo politics is not good enough. We need the kind of visionary leadership that Zohran is providing in this campaign. In my view, Zohran Mamdani is the best choice for mayor of New York City."

This comes a day after Mamdani and Michael Blake cross-endorsed each other.

The endorsement carries the same type of high profile backing the Democratic mayoral candidate received from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez earlier this month.

The two politicians travel the country together, and are now joining forces in Mamdani's race against Andrew Cuomo.

AOC rallied with Mamdani last Saturday, it is unclear if Sanders will join them before Election Day.

Mamdani announced his first cross-endorsement, with Brad Lander, on Friday.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 20 Jun 2025 03:27

The Nation also endorses Z. Mamdani.

From Wikipedia

On January 14, 2016, The Nation endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for President. In their reasoning, the editors of The Nation professed that "Bernie Sanders and his supporters are bending the arc of history toward justice. Theirs is an insurgency, a possibility, and a dream that we proudly endorse."[29]

On June 15, 2019, Heuvel stepped down as editor; D. D. Guttenplan, the editor-at-large, took her place.[30]

On March 2, 2020, The Nation again endorsed Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for President. In their reasoning, the editors of The Nation professed: "As we find ourselves on a hinge of history—a generation summoned to the task of redeeming our democracy and restoring our republic—no one ever has to wonder what Bernie Sanders stands for."[4]

On February 23, 2022, The Nation named Jacobin founder Bhaskar Sunkara its new president.[31] In December 2023, Sunkara announced the magazine would be switching from a biweekly format to a larger monthly publication.[32]

On September 23, 2024, The Nation endorsed Kamala Harris for the 2024 United States presidential election but with criticism on foreign politics, especially in regard to the Gaza war.[33] On October 25, 2024, the magazine published an article, by the magazine's interns, criticizing this endorsement.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 20 Jun 2025 03:59

saip wrote: ↑19 Jun 2025 23:46
"...and told the outlet that all non-American citizens should carry proof of their legal status."
How will they know if you are an American Citizen if you are brown? Better carry your ID. '.. then they came for me and there was no one to help' has arrived sooner than I thought.

That’s exactly the problem. A friend of mine who is a green card holder, a professor who has lived in the U.S. since 1970. His entire family—wife, children—are U.S. citizens (by birth). Yet he’s scared (for the first time in last 50 yearm or so - he did not take US citizenship as he did not want to give up his Indian citizenship) to take a trip to India because he fears getting harassed when re-entering the country. And sadly, he’s not alone—there are many similar horror stories. When "proof of legal status" becomes a stand-in for "prove you're not suspicious because you're brown," it stops being about the law and starts being about profiling.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 20 Jun 2025 05:03

Hope US would not use Pakistani airspace and airbases to attack Iran: Senior Iranian diplomat amid Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir’s US visit

"Hope…would not use this one": Senior Iranian diplomat over Asim Munir’s US visit and possibility of Pak airspace being used for operations against Iran

In an interview with ANI, Iranian Deputy Chief of Mission in India, Mohammad Javad Hosseini answered queries on a range of issues
and said his country has not talked of mediation and has called upon the international community to stop “aggression” by Israel as
it is not beneficial to anyone.

He hoped the United States would not enter the conflict because it would “not benefit” any of the players in the region.

"I hope it would not use this one," Hosseini said when asked about Asim Munir's meeting with Trump on Wednesday and the
possibility that Pakistan airspace and airbases could be used for operations against Iran.

https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/ ... 618190445/

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 20 Jun 2025 05:03

Spooked Asim Munir Confides In Trump His Fear Of A Baloch Uprising Amid Israel-Iran Conflict

Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir confided in Donald Trump that he fears rebel groups in both Iran and Pakistan could unite amid Iran-Israel war.

Pakistan’s army chief Asim Munir appeared spooked about prospects of an uprising led by separatist and jihadist militants along the Pakistan-Iran border amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict and has confided in US President Donald Trump of his fears, a report by news agency Reuters said

The report by Reuters pointed out that anti-Iranian and anti-Pakistan outfits operate on both sides of the 560-mile (900km) long border. As Israel bombs Iran’s nuclear program, its officials have repeatedly indicated that they are seeking to destabilize the Iranian government or see it toppled.

As well as worrying about chaos spilling over from Iran, Pakistan is concerned about the precedent set by Israel of attacking the nuclear installations of another country. India recently targeted Pakistani airbases after Pakistani Army intervened on behalf of terrorists when India struck their hideouts deep inside Pakistan to retaliate against the killing of innocent civilians in April 22 in Pahalgam.

Pakistan has condemned Israel’s attack on Iran as a violation of international law.

https://www.news18.com/world/spooked-as ... 94479.html

Manish_P · Post by **Manish_P** » 20 Jun 2025 07:12

Amber G. wrote: ↑20 Jun 2025 03:59 ...When "proof of legal status" becomes a stand-in for "prove you're not suspicious because you're brown," it stops being about the law and starts being about profiling.

Folks better start reviewing their previous posts on social media. And on BRF forums as well. Anything against el presidente and his flip flopping policies might be held against them.

He won't take too long to downgrade citizenship of the browns back to green card status

BTW are BRF forums hosted on US servers

ricky_v · Post by **ricky_v** » 20 Jun 2025 09:23

Manish_P wrote: ↑20 Jun 2025 07:12 BTW are BRF forums hosted on US servers

used to be france, i see that it has been moved now

https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/blog/des ... k-origins/

Where is the BR server hosted?

The BR Server is hosted on a web server that is located in the France – Earlier it used to be in UK closer to Seetal’s base, but it was moved to France later on. Why France? its not because we like the Rafael more than the Tejas ! , but because that service provider offers us great protection on DDOS attacks and they have a wide range of global network peering that offers consistent browsing experience from users across the globe – whether in US, or UK, or India.

Update 2025: No longer in France…lets just say it is in the cloud.

Why is the site not hosted in India? You are an Indian defence site FFS!

Read the note above about DDOS – we have been a consistent target for DDOS and cyber attacks. We havent found an Indian ISP who could provide us with the level of protection we need at the budget we have.

pravula · Post by **pravula** » 20 Jun 2025 09:29

ricky_v wrote: ↑20 Jun 2025 09:23
Manish_P wrote: ↑20 Jun 2025 07:12 BTW are BRF forums hosted on US servers
used to be france, i see that it has been moved now

https://www.bharat-rakshak.com/blog/des ... k-origins/

Where is the BR server hosted?

The BR Server is hosted on a web server that is located in the France – Earlier it used to be in UK closer to Seetal’s base, but it was moved to France later on. Why France? its not because we like the Rafael more than the Tejas ! , but because that service provider offers us great protection on DDOS attacks and they have a wide range of global network peering that offers consistent browsing experience from users across the globe – whether in US, or UK, or India.

Update 2025: No longer in France…lets just say it is in the cloud.

Why is the site not hosted in India? You are an Indian defence site FFS!

Read the note above about DDOS – we have been a consistent target for DDOS and cyber attacks. We havent found an Indian ISP who could provide us with the level of protection we need at the budget we have.

Its protected by cloudflare. Enough said...

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 20 Jun 2025 12:32

US President Donald Trump will make a decision on Iran "within the next two weeks."

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 20 Jun 2025 13:48

Orange fidgety cannot wait for 2 weeks, I'm guessing he will move before that.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 22 Jun 2025 03:43

If you live in California, this is the moment to take action and let your lawmakers know that you say NO to SB 509.
SB 509 could wrongly train law enforcement to treat Indian-origin Californians—especially Hindus—as foreign agents. Say NO to profiling.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 22 Jun 2025 04:17

Amber G. wrote: ↑22 Jun 2025 03:43 If you live in California, this is the moment to take action and let your lawmakers know that you say NO to SB 509.
SB 509 could wrongly train law enforcement to treat Indian-origin Californians—especially Hindus—as foreign agents. Say NO to profiling.

I read the text SB 509. It doesn't warrant the above conclusion by a long shot. Text is just one page and fairly simple to understand.

I will reiterate once more that SB 503 will come back again sometime in the future. I sincerely feel that we, especially forward caste Hindus, should not object to that bill as long as there are adequate protections against false accusations. For full disclosure purposes, I do support Infinity Foundation, HAF, and also taking courses from HUA. I oppose misdirected activism of Equality Labs, Hindus For Human Rights, and others of their ilk.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 22 Jun 2025 05:04

Vayutuvan wrote: ↑22 Jun 2025 04:17
Amber G. wrote: ↑22 Jun 2025 03:43 If you live in California, this is the moment to take action and let your lawmakers know that you say NO to SB 509.
SB 509 could wrongly train law enforcement to treat Indian-origin Californians—especially Hindus—as foreign agents. Say NO to profiling.
I read the text SB 509. It doesn't warrant the above conclusion by a long shot. Text is just one page and fairly simple to understand.

I will reiterate once more that SB 503 will come back again sometime in the future. I sincerely feel that we, especially forward caste Hindus, should not object to that bill as long as there are adequate protections against false accusations. For full disclosure purposes, I do support Infinity Foundation, HAF, and also taking courses from HUA. I oppose misdirected activism of Equality Labs, Hindus For Human Rights, and others of their ilk.

Let me clarify why many of us are deeply concerned about SB 509, and why this concern isn’t coming from paranoia, but from reading the implications beyond the bill’s surface language:

HAF and CoHNA proposed good-faith, reasonable amendments to SB 509—ones that would have clarified vague terms and protected civil liberties. Sadly, all those inputs were rejected outright by the bill’s author, @CASenCaballero, who instead chose to entertain and platform known Khalistani extremist voices. That alone should raise a red flag.

Californians: Please take a moment to sign both HAF and CoHNA petitions opposing SB 509.

This bill is not as innocent as it looks.

Yes, it’s short. But the vague, undefined terms it uses—like “foreign proxy”—grant sweeping, unchecked authority to California’s Office of Emergency Services to train law enforcement on how to detect so-called “proxies” of foreign governments.

No definitions. No due process. Just vibes.

This means:

- Any Indian-American or Hindu who speaks up for their community could be painted as a “foreign agent.”

- If you oppose anti-India hate graffiti at a temple? You might be tagged as a proxy for the Indian government.

Meanwhile, those inciting or supporting actual violence under the pretense of being “dissidents” could be given a pass.

This is a threat to civil liberties, period. Not just for Hindus—but for any immigrant community where activism intersects with international affairs.

It also pushes state agencies into national security territory (like interpreting INTERPOL notices)—which is federal jurisdiction, and frankly, outside their training or mandate.

Let’s be real:
- FBI data shows zero transnational repression (TNR) cases involving Hindus in California.
- But there are actual hate crimes targeting Hindu temples and cultural spaces. Where’s the protection for us?

SB 509 is a solution in search of a problem—and a dangerous one at that.

- My faith is not a foreign plot.
- My advocacy is not espionage.
- And my mandir is not a battlefield for somebody else’s protest.

I hope this clarifies why I and many others are urging lawmakers to say NO to SB 509.

More see Why SB 905 is a problem

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 23 Jun 2025 01:57

@Amber G., thanks. But I still feel it is not worth the fight. SB 503 was. But then I did find nothing wrong as long as there are protections against false accusations for that bill. Let us agree to disagree on this. No more from me.

Cyrano · Post by **Cyrano** » 23 Jun 2025 12:44

Tulsi Gabbard as DNI is conspicuously absent from the action, after publicly stating in March Iran is some distance away from making a n bum.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 23 Jun 2025 17:13

In respect of your CA bill for voting. Beware of the vague language by communists. That is how they impose their tyranny.

dsreedhar · Post by **dsreedhar** » 23 Jun 2025 20:06

Agree with Amber ji. This is how Communists sneak in superficially okay bills but has wide implications. If nothing, they will be used to harass and shut hindu voices.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 23 Jun 2025 20:59

Some questions from The Bulwark:

1. Does Iran still possess a nuclear program?

On June 21, President Trump said that the U.S. military had struck the nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Esfahan. He claimed that, “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”

On June 22, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth agreed with the president’s claim: “Many presidents have dreamed of delivering the final blow to Iran’s nuclear program, and none could, until President Trump.”

Immediately after Hegseth spoke, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, contradicted both the president and secretary.

“Final battle damage will take some time, but initial battle damage assessments indicate that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine said.

A reporter then asked Gen. Caine: “You said the battle damage assessment is still ongoing, but do you believe that some nuclear capability in Iran remains?

Caine’s response: “I think BDA is still pending, and it would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there.”

So the president and secretary of defense say that Iran’s facilities were “completely and totally obliterated” and that Iran’s nuclear program has been “dealt the final blow.”

But the chairman of the Joint Chiefs says that it is much too early to give any sort of accurate assessment of the damage done.

Either the general is lying to the American public or the president and his secretary of defense are lying to them.

Which is it?

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 24 Jun 2025 09:54

The Supreme Court just cleared the way for President Trump’s administration to *swiftly* deport criminal illegal aliens to countries other than their own.

Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan & Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented — shocker.

This is a huge win for deportation.

nice to see "biden judge" when in India one can't say "congi or commie judge" without getting hauled up for contempt by hizzonners, on one's way to prison

so much for colonially inspired freedom of speech in a democracy

and what will/should happen to this biden appointed scum

bala · Post by **bala** » 24 Jun 2025 10:40

chetak wrote: ↑24 Jun 2025 09:54
and what will/should happen to this biden appointed scum

What happens to a US district judge who defies the US Supreme Court. Defying the Supreme court is criminal behaviour. Will DHS deport this dude to South Sudan or UK or Ireland?

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 24 Jun 2025 17:11

https://tritonstation.com/2025/06/13/there-are-none/

The post-war success of American science wasn’t happenstance, it was an outcome of intentional government policy. Investment in science research was seen as an essential element of national security. It also became a phenomenal engine for the growth of knowledge and technology that underpins many essential elements of modern society that we’ve come to take for granted but shouldn’t, like this here internet*. The relatively modest investments (as a fraction of the federal budget) that made this possible have been repaid many times over in economic growth.
..
..
A legitimate question is what level of investment is appropriate. America’s scientific leadership has been slipping because other nations have witnessed our success and many have taken steps to replicate it. That’s good. But if one wants to maintain leadership for all the value that provides, or even remain competitive, one needs to invest more, not less.

Instead, the budget currently before congress can only be described as a rampage of draconian budget reductions. NASA science is down 47%; NSF 56%. Even NIH, the core agency for research that impacts medicine that we all rely on at some point, is down 37%. Heck, a military unit is considered destroyed if it suffers 30% casualties; these cuts are deeper. This is how you destroy something while pretending not to do so. Rather than simply murder American science outright, the “big, beautiful bill” drags it behind the woodshed, ties it up, thrashes it half to death, and leaves it to bleed out, killing it slowly enough to preserve plausible deniability.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 26 Jun 2025 02:04

https://www.nber.org/papers/w29260

Abstract below:

It is widely believed that university and corporate research are complementary: Companies invest in research in part to develop the capacity to absorb the knowledge emerging from universities. However, as we show in this paper, corporate research in the United States emerged when American universities were behind the world frontier in scientific research. Why, then, did for-profit businesses choose to invest in creating new knowledge, much of which could spill over to rivals, and whose conduct presented many managerial challenges? We argue that corporate research in America arose in the 1920s to compensate for weak university research, not to complement it. Using newly assembled firm-level data from the 1920s and 1930s, we find that companies invested in research because inventions increasingly relied on science, but American universities were unable to meet their needs. Large firms, close to the technological frontier, and operating in concentrated industries were likely to invest in research, especially in scientific disciplines where American universities lagged behind the scientific frontier. Corporate science seems to have paid off, resulting in novel patents and high market valuations for firms engaged in research.

I just downloaded this working paper from NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research. Abstract is interesting. I posit that the US is at the same point as it was 1920s. US universities are lagging behind. It is Corporate America's responsibility, not NASA/NSF/NIH's, to spend more money on basic science research rather than more of SM and other fluff. Whatever happened to Google's research into Geothermal Energy? They spent $250 million a decade ago and then nothing.

There was a pilot project for carbon sequestration near my town. That was supposed to be the very first such project - to capture CO/CO2 from coal fired power plants and pump into mines which are not producing coal any more. That project came to a naught. That money was redirected to wind farms by the our state.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 26 Jun 2025 02:08

https://www.academia.edu/21209508/Is_th ... _knowledge

This is 2004 paper. I will look for a more recent paper on this and post a link here if I find it.

Abstract
Judging by the large R&D-active companies that have slimmed down their research labs in recent years, it would seem that corporate research is increasingly managed as an economic asset that is predominantly driven by market forces and ruled by IPR strategies. Has this development significantly affected industry's basic research and interactions with research communities in the public sector? This paper examines the global trends in an underdeveloped source of information on corporate science: their research articles published in the international scientific and technical journals.

This is happening at the universities as well. Research is focused on getting IP for the university and how many startups arise from university research and how much money the Uni is going to make.

pravula · Post by **pravula** » 26 Jun 2025 02:17

Vayutuvan wrote: ↑26 Jun 2025 02:04 https://www.nber.org/papers/w29260

Abstract below:
It is widely believed that university and corporate research are complementary: Companies invest in research in part to develop the capacity to absorb the knowledge emerging from universities. However, as we show in this paper, corporate research in the United States emerged when American universities were behind the world frontier in scientific research. Why, then, did for-profit businesses choose to invest in creating new knowledge, much of which could spill over to rivals, and whose conduct presented many managerial challenges? We argue that corporate research in America arose in the 1920s to compensate for weak university research, not to complement it. Using newly assembled firm-level data from the 1920s and 1930s, we find that companies invested in research because inventions increasingly relied on science, but American universities were unable to meet their needs. Large firms, close to the technological frontier, and operating in concentrated industries were likely to invest in research, especially in scientific disciplines where American universities lagged behind the scientific frontier. Corporate science seems to have paid off, resulting in novel patents and high market valuations for firms engaged in research.
I just downloaded this working paper from NBER (National Bureau of Economic Research. Abstract is interesting. I posit that the US is at the same point as it was 1920s. US universities are lagging behind. It is Corporate America's responsibility, not NASA/NSF/NIH's, to spend more money on basic science research rather than more of SM and other fluff. Whatever happened to Google's research into Geothermal Energy? They spent $250 million a decade ago and then nothing.

There was a pilot project for carbon sequestration near my town. That was supposed to be the very first such project - to capture CO/CO2 from coal fired power plants and pump into mines which are not producing coal any more. That project came to a naught. That money was redirected to wind farms by the our state.

Agree, think Bell Labs. Companies are driven by profit and competitive edge, but policy should exist to reward it. "carbon sequestration" is one such program. Why would anyone invest in developing it when that coal plant can just buy carbon credits from EV/Solar companies?

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 26 Jun 2025 02:21

https://www.academia.edu/56356289/Scien ... ment_Types

Table 1. Types of industry engagement

Code: Select all

Type							Description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Licensing					Contractual assignment of university-generated intellectual property (such as 
							patents) to external organizations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Academic entrepreneurship		Development and commercial exploitation of technologies pursued by 				 			
							academic inventors through a company they (partly) own 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[b]Collaborative research 		Research jointly pursued by university/PhD researchers with industrial 
							partners- commonly with public funding. [/b]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contract research 				Application-oriented research and development activities carried out by 
							academicians/PhD researchers- commissioned and funded by industry. 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Consulting 					Application-oriented research and development activities or advice provided 
							individually by academicians- commissioned and funded by industry.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sources: Bercovitz and Feldman (2006); Mansfield (1995); Louis et al (1989).

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 26 Jun 2025 02:25

pravula wrote: ↑26 Jun 2025 02:17 Agree, think Bell Labs. Companies are driven by profit and competitive edge, but policy should exist to reward it. "carbon sequestration" is one such program. Why would anyone invest in developing it when that coal plant can just buy carbon credits from EV/Solar companies?

There is more basic science research in any industry labs. Bell Labs is no more. Bell Core is finished. Xerox PARC is over. IBM Watson still does some research. Only a few projects I can think of are Google/IBM/MS doing research in physical realization of quantum computers.
I am not a biologist, but pharma companies do have labs where do they research. Are they doing basic research?

University Math/Physics/Chemistry/Biology departments have become service departments.

Vayutuvan · Post by **Vayutuvan** » 26 Jun 2025 02:29

https://www.nber.org/papers/w33713
This is paper published in 2025.

The Rise of Absorptive Research in Corporate America: 1945-1980

Ashish Arora, Sharon Belenzon, Jungkyu Suh & Hansen Zhang

Working Paper 33713
DOI 10.3386/w33713
Issue Date April 2025

We study the post-World War II “Golden Age” of American corporate research from 1945 to 1980, using multiple indicators of corporate research activity. We use an ensemble learning approach to classify firms as either Science Leaders, Absorbers or Followers. Our analysis reveals that only a small fraction of firms, whom we call Leaders, invest in internal research that is on the scientific frontier, with the objective to generate breakthrough inventions. Absorbers invest in research principally to absorb external scientific discoveries to fuel their inventive activity. Followers typically generate incremental innovations, using older scientific knowledge. Consistent with this, we find Leaders were more likely to be at the technological frontier, enjoy greater market power, and benefit from government procurement contracts. As universities and startups began to commercialize academic discoveries, the need for “absorptive corporate labs” declined. The shift ultimately transformed the American innovation landscape, deepening the division of innovative labor between universities, startups, and incumbent corporations, with only a select group of Leader firms continuing to invest in basic science.