The American Genocide

As repulsive, self centered, and delusional as our current president is, there are probably other worries that deserve more of our attention. One such issue is the end of our democracy as the billionaire class buys up almost all of our national media. Our elections are now inundated with their dark money, over a billion dollars spent last year to buy off our Congress. Elon is the personification of what our post democracy will look like. His Department of Government Efficiency worked hard to transfer over a trillion from the working class to the maniacal super rich. 

Another cause for our anxiety should be our emerging military empire. Since World War II, our country has waged wars of aggression all over the globe, leaving a trail of tens of millions dead. We have bombed, and sent missiles into over 30 countries since 1945. The cost of such war crimes has been staggering, both in terms of US soldiers dead and national treasure squandered. Our empire now has 800 military bases in over 80 countries or territories.  

Israel, our dependable partner in these war crimes, is engaged in the horrendous genocide of the Palestinian people. We arm Israel when it runs out of bombs and missiles. We try to hide the worst holocaust of the twenty first century. We own the hospitals that have been obliterated, the schools that have been showered with white phosphorus, and the prisoners who have been raped and tortured. This slaughter of the Palestinian people will forever be named the American Genocide. 

Fred Nagel

Getting Used to Ethnic Cleansing

Can't we just get used to ethnic cleansing if we try hard enough? There is Trump to divert our attention with his endless greed and corruption. There are these billion dollar wars spreading around the globe. And yet, just when we think we can forget about genocide, there is the news of 2,200 Israeli settlement attacks on Palestinian villages in July. 

These violent and racist settlers, backed by the Israeli Defense Force, do more than burn buildings and destroy olive trees. They shoot reporters, doctors and children, the same as Israel did in Gaza. According to Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times, "The IDF also rapes and tortures its prisoners, one of Israel’s standard operating procedures and a major element in the ill treatment of Palestinians.” (NYT May 11, 2026) Then there are these 4,300 recent civilian deaths in Israel's bloody attack on Lebanon. Can't we just change the channel? 

Part of the problem is that we are paying for all this carnage. We pour our tax dollars into Israel for each hideous war crime it commits. In turn, the Israel Lobby contaminates our elections by saturating each race with millions in donations. Pro-Israel groups spent at least 100 million recently on federal primary and general election races. We have let Israel turn our electoral system into a pay to play sham.

Get our bombs and missiles out of Palestine. Stop sending billions to a genocidal state. And get Israel out of our elections.

Fred Nagel

More than Josh Riley

Although it’s way past time for Pat Ryan to vote against continuing to enable Israel’s continued killing of Palestinian civilians, he at least is doing more than Josh Riley.

The number one contributor to Josh Riley’s 2025-2026 campaign committee, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is certainly getting its money’s worth with Josh Riley, member of Congress. More than $218,000 worth. In fact. Riley is so beholden to the Israel Lobby that since his advent to Congress, he hasn’t raised the slightest objection to Israel’s actions in Gaza and the West Bank. He doesn’t even care if American citizens of Palestinian descent are murdered while visiting family in the West Bank, or if his fellow congressional members are held at gunpoint by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

I think Riley’s constituents deserve to know how much more money Riley expects to get for his continued silence and complicity.

— Marcy

Guts? Or Opportunism?

After two years and ten months of Israeli genocide, Pat Ryan--who repeatedly said nothing would ever stop him from supporting Israel--voted to block sending $3.3 billion to Israel as part of a military authorization package. But don't get too excited. His constituents have been calling and pressuring him to find a way to break with the Israel lobby, and its money, for nearly three years, while he refused to meet with us, refused to acknowledge that Israel was carrying out a genocide against Palestinians, refused to speak or vote against a single bomb or dollar going to aid that genocide. 

Only now, when pro-Israel Democrats are being unseated everywhere did Pat Ryan suddenly see the light. 

I'm glad for every vote against U.S. funding of the Israeli military. But I have to ask myself: Guts? Or opportunism?

Naomi Allen

Overthrowing the Tyrant

The right wing element of our country is as close to power as it has ever been. We have have survived racists like Woodrow Wilson. We have suffered under absolute liars like Tricky Dick Nixon. Our worst military defeat, the invasion of Vietnam, was built on false war propaganda. Through all of this, we have persevered, and so has our Constitutional democracy. That era looks to be over.

The current gap between the rich and the poor is at a level that is historically unprecedented. The billionaires have captured our government, forcing cuts for the working class and tax breaks for the already filthy rich. The nation's president has become unglued; he is a completely self absorbed narcissist presiding over the most corrupt administration we have ever experienced.

Like most tyrants, Trump wants to control everything that we the people think. He has opened the door to junk science, attacked free speech on campuses, and created his own fascist organization that shoots first and asks questions later. His billionaire supporters have purchased most of the mainstream media, from the newspapers to the TV programming. That way we can't listen to Stewart, Fallon, or Colbert. We can't watch "60 Minutes," which often revealed governmental wrongdoing. 

If that were not threatening enough, Trump is pushing for endless wars. We had our chance to stop this madman when he conspired to overthrow the 2020 election. But like the Germans after the Beer Hall Putsch, we didn't stop the tyrant when we could have. 

Fred Nagel

Guts? Or Opportunism?

After two years and ten months of Israeli genocide, Pat Ryan--who repeatedly said nothing would ever stop him from supporting Israel--voted to block sending $3.3 billion to Israel as part of a military authorization package. But don't get too excited. His constituents have been calling and pressuring him to find a way to break with the Israel lobby, and its money, for nearly three years, while he refused to meet with us, refused to acknowledge that Israel was carrying out a genocide against Palestinians, refused to speak or vote against a single bomb or dollar going to aid that genocide. 

Only now, when pro-Israel Democrats are being unseated everywhere did Pat Ryan suddenly see the light. 

I'm glad for every vote against U.S. funding of the Israeli military. But I have to ask myself: Guts? Or opportunism?

Naomi 

Daily Gazette in Albany