Will Poetica Coffee Receive Poetic Justice for Its Anti-Semitism?

 

I had never heard of Poetica Coffee, a NYC coffee shop with several locations in Brooklyn and in Manhattan's East Village.

But Poetica Coffee sure decided to draw attention to itself with a Facebook post which remains up as of this writing. The Facebook post blasts New York Democratic Congressman Dan Goldman for having the temerity to visit their establishment and engaging in commerce:

Hey Congressman Dan Goldman, we see that you stopped by our shop today for a coffee. Do you see how it doesn’t taste like genocide juice? Or are you still having a hard time telling the difference? 

See, here at Poetica, we don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes, genocide enablers, or anyone in between. Too bad we didn’t recognize you right away, or we would have turned you away. We issued you a refund—we don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways). Enjoy your loss on Tuesday. Don’t ever come to Poetica.

Given the fact that Poetica sees fit to associate "genocide enablers" with AIPAC, it is safe to say that they will likely not deny service to people of Chinese origin despite the Government of China's genocide against Uyghur Muslims or to people of Burmese origin despite the Government of Myanmar's genocide against Rohingya Muslims. No, Poetica is only singling out Jews.

For his part, Goldman, who is facing a primary challenge from Mamdani ally Brad Lander, responded:

I am sorry to see this post. The barista could not have been nicer to my 7-year-old daughter and me — allowing her to use the bathroom even though we had not purchased anything.

I made sure to buy a coffee in return for her kindness. I hope you at least make sure she gets the tip that she deserved.

It is worth noting that the DoJ is not amused and has already seen fit to launch a probe against Poetica Coffee. Given that Trump's DoJ has a fairly broad definition of what constitutes religious discrimination as is the case with their probe into MLB alleging discrimination against players writing biblical verses on their caps in protest of Pride Night, I'm not sure if this will serve as much of a remedy.

Perhaps Poetica Coffee will receive poetic justice instead. The fact that the establishment went out of its way to single out a Jewish Congressman for visiting their establishment will make New Yorkers rethink where they purchase their coffee. This would be a fitting consequence for brewing discontent.

Mamdani is The Real Monster

 

At a rally last Thursday evening in Brooklyn for DSA endorsed congressional candidates, only hours after being present at the New York Knicks championship celebration parade, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called AIPAC "monsters.":

These monsters take many forms today: in those who fund television ads that blanket the airwaves with misleading and bad-faith attacks about Claire, Brad, and Dari; those who would rather spend far more on political contributions than they would ever be made to pay in taxes; in AIPAC, for whom the only thing more frightening than democracy being allowed to run its course is an end to the genocide in Netanyahu's wars.

They move millions in dark money to accomplish a single goal: to preserve their power, so that they can turn us against one another instead of turning our leaders toward the moral change we all know to be necessary. In a politics that for too long has asked working people to lower their expectations, to settle for less, to become satisfied with small victories while our wages grow even smaller and our costs grow even larger; to resign ourselves to resignation, to accept the unacceptable. In the wealthiest city, in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, we need not live in fear of monsters any longer. 

This did not sit well with New Jersey Democratic Congressman Josh Gottheimer:

“Monsters.” “Dark money.” A hidden hand “turning us against one another.” Swap “AIPAC” for “Jews” and it’s the oldest antisemitic conspiracy theory in the books. That’s not criticizing a lobby. That’s laundering antisemitism from your podium as Mayor of a city with more than a million Jews. This bullshit is dangerous. If you want to talk about real monsters let’s start with the North Koreans, Russians, Sudanese, the Iranian regime, and their proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah, PIJ — and other terrorist groups who’ve killed scores of Americans.

AIPAC isn't frightened by democracy, it is engaging in it while Mamdani engages in demagoguery by likening it to monsters.

To pick up on Gottheimer's point, Mamdani has never referred to the North Koreans, Russians, Sudanese, the Iranian regime much less Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad as monsters.

Consider what I wrote back in January after a mob chanted pro-Hamas slogans in front of a synagogue in Queens:

The fact that Mamdani cannot condemn Hamas by name much less characterize them as anti-Semitic should not come as a surprise. While vowing to fight "the scourge of anti-Semitism" after taking the oath of office he immediately rescinded executive orders regarding the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of anti-Semitism and prohibiting the city from engaging in the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) Movement against Israel.

Let us also remember that the day after October 7th, Mamdani also condemned Israel while making no mention of Hamas.

Mamdani cannot condemn Hamas because he supports Hamas and their anti-Semitic objective of wiping Israel off the face of the Earth. If Mamdani were to condemn Hamas by name, he would be a dead man walking. 

Keep in mind, this will only get worse. The night Mamdani was elected, I predicted there would be an October 7th inspired attacks against Jews in NYC. By calling AIPAC monsters, Mamdani is planting the seeds for bloodshed. That makes him a monster in my eyes.

Why I Feel Sorry for Keir Starmer

 

As widely expected, Sir Keir Starmer announced his resignation as UK Prime Minister this morning. Starmer's resignation will most likely take effect in September when the Labour Party is expected to elect a new leader. 

That new leader will very likely be Andy Burnham, a three-term Mayor of Manchester who was returned to the House of Commons in a by-election last Thursday. I plan to write more about Burnham in the coming days as I have firsthand experience working with him.

For now, however, I wish to share my thoughts about Starmer's current state of being.

Simply put, I feel sorry for him.

After all, it was less than 2 years ago that he led the Labour Party to massive landslide victory ending 14-years of Tory rule. It was a landslide almost a large as that of Tony Blair when his first Labour government ascended to power nearly 30 years ago. Unlike Blair, however, Starmer will never get an opportunity for re-election much less three mandates.

As of this writing, unemployment in the UK is just under 5% - its lowest level in five years. You would think the unemployment rate would have been treble that amount given the eagerness with which Labour hung Starmer out to dry. Then again, the unemployment rate under President Biden was under 5% (much of that time under 4%) and fat lot of good that did him. 

This isn't to say that Starmer didn't make a share of mistakes. He should have exercised far more diligence and better judgment when considering Peter Mandelson to be Ambassador to the U.S. Mandelson was a confidante of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein although he was not involved in any sexual misconduct. 

Although Starmer's government was successful in reducing migration levels to the UK, it was insufficient for many voters who turned to Reform led by Nigel Farage and his tendency towards incitement against minorities calling for "pure, cold rage."

When Starmer made his resignation speech, he made a point of saying he was proud of "ripping out the poison of anti-Semitism". Unfortunately, as it turns out, there a lot of anti-Semites in the UK and many of them have turned to the Green Party to find a purportedly legitimate expression of that hatred. 

From where I sit, I think Starmer is to be given every credit for his earnest efforts to stamp out anti-Semitism in the Labour Party and speaking out against its further rise under his watch. However, I think Starmer was wrong in recognizing a Palestinian state at a time when Hamas was still holding hostages. Alas, many a troll on Blue Sky think Starmer is guilty of enabling a genocide and they are clearly not referencing China or Myanmar.

Keir Starmer strikes me as a decent fellow who the British electorate expected to walk on water. If this same electorate perceives Andy Burnham as a savior, then I can only imagine how they will react when Burnham attempts to take a stroll on the Thames.

Starmer ought to have had the chance to make his case to the voters in 2028 or 2029. Whatever mistakes he made have made, I can think of certain world leaders who made far worse mistakes and were given second chances.

Thoughts on Trump DoJ's Definition of "Religious Discrimination" re: MLB on SF Giants Pride Night

 

Very little has gone right for the San Francisco Giants this season. They are arguably MLB's most disappointing team. As of this writing, the Giants are 31-44 and 17 games back of the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West. Giants President Buster Posey has been taken to task for hiring Tennessee Volunteers head coach Tony Vitello to manage the team without the benefit of coaching or managing at the major or minor league level.

Alas, the Giants are facing other problems which have taken on a life of their own. The team recently held a Pride Night as they have since 2021, the first MLB team to do so. During these games, the Giants sport hats with the pride rainbow incorporated into the team logo. 

However, this year, several Giants pitchers (Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker) wrote Bible verses on their caps while one pitcher, Sam Hentges, refused to wear the cap at all. For its part, MLB issued warnings to the pitchers concerning uniform violations but did not subject them to any disciplinary action.

In response to MLB's warning, Trump's DoJ has now launched an investigation into whether MLB engaged in religious discrimination against the pitchers who scrawled the Bible verses on their caps and has referred the matter to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights issued this statement:

The three players expressed their opposition to MLB's pro-Pride orthodoxy. The Civil Rights Act prohibits MLB and its franchises from unreasonably burdening the rights of players with religious objections to serving as the League's vehicle for pro-Pride messages. 

Federal law is clear: employers must modify their uniform requirements to reasonably accommodate their employees’ exercise of religion. The Trump administration is committed to combatting religious discrimination.

Dhillon is engaging in intellectual dishonesty. When Dhillon refers to MLB's so-called "pro-Pride orthodoxy", she is making an ideological statement, not a religious one. If players were to refuse to wear 42 on Jackie Robinson Day, I am sure Dhillon would blast MLB's "pro-DEI agenda." Let us remember that last year Trump's DoD removed all references to Jackie Robinson's military career on the grounds it was DEI before restoring the data following a backlash. 

Dhillon is also misrepresenting federal law on the matter. The EEOC guidelines on reasonable accommodations concerning religious garb refer specifically to clothing and items such as hijabs, turbans, and crosses. They do not cover the inscription of Bible verses onto articles of clothing.

Let me put it this way. Does anyone honestly think the Trump DoJ would launch such an investigation had the pitchers wrote verses from the Koran on their caps? 

Yet it would not surprise me if MLB were to bend the knee to the Trump Administration and make the wearing of Pride caps optional. I say this because of MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's abrupt reinstatement of Pete Rose, "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the 1919 Chicago White Sox last year after meeting with President Trump. While I was pleased about the decision, I was not pleased about how it came about:

I'm sure that Trump basically told him, 'Either you reinstate Pete Rose, or all foreign-born players will be asked to leave the country.' Or perhaps he limited the edict to players from Latin American countries which comprise about 25% of all active MLB players.

Needless to say, I will not be surprised if Trump soon has another meeting with Manfred and strong arms him once more. In which case, the Trump Administration will have once again taken a bad situation and make it worse. But I suppose that is the sort of thing in which the Trump Administration takes pride in doing.

Iranian Regime Sentences Singer To Be Flogged 74 Times For Performing Without a Hijab

What I think has been lost in President Trump's foolish ineptitude in his ultimately failed military action against Iran is the barbarity and cruelty of the Iranian regime.

Prior to the joint the U.S.-Israeli military action, the Iranian regime had murdered an estimated 30,000 civilians protesting for the most basic human rights. 

And now comes word that an Iranian court has sentenced singer Parastoo Ahmadi and her production crew to receive 74 lashes for performing without a hijab in 2024 concert which was posted to YouTube. Ahmadi and her team have also been banned from public performance, nor can they leave the country for the next two years. 

However, even prior to the military action in Iran, the Left has ignored the brutality of the Iranian regime. Had this military action occurred with an American President with a modicum of sanity then perhaps there would have been genuine regime change. A new regime in Iran which would not subject women to bodily harm if they choose not to wear the hijab. A new regime under which women would not die in police custody because they offended the morality police as Mahsa Amini did and lost her life because of it.

One of the consequences of Trump choosing to surrender to Iran is there will be a lot more arrests and detentions of those who offend the Iranian regime. Parastoo Ahmadi is only the tip of the iceberg. With sanctions relief and reconstruction money coming into the Iranian regime's coffers will pay for more prisons and other tools of repression to ensure the subjugation of the Iranian people.

Why I Am Not "Stunned" Trump Would Fabricate a Story About Meloni

 

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is not putting up with President Trump's bullshit.

When Trump claimed that Meloni had "begged" Trump to have a picture taken with her, Meloni put out a video on X to publicly rebuke him in front of the whole world:

Donald Trump's statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned. I don't know why the president of the United States behaves like this toward his own allies. After all, it is not the first time.

I can only say it's a shame he doesn't show the same resolve toward with the enemies of the West and toward the enemies of the United States - towards leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating. But there is one thing he should remember. Italy and I do not beg.

While I am pleased to see a world leader publicly take Trump to task for his boorish behavior, I am not at all stunned that he would fabricate a story.

Indeed, fabricating stories is Trump's stock and trade. Given his propensity towards lying, it is fair to presume that when Trump claims something it is invariably untrue.

When I learned about Meloni's rebuke of Trump, it made me think of when the Boy Scouts of America back in August 2017 publicly denied that their leadership had called Trump to thank him for "the greatest speech ever made to them". Indeed, Boy Scouts officials apologized to parents for Trump's speech because of its "political rhetoric."

If Donald Trump is willing to lie about the Boy Scouts, then why wouldn't he lie about the Italian Prime Minister?

What is stunning, however, is that Meloni would be the one to speak out against Trump with such force. After all, Meloni was arguably Trump's closest ally in Europe. However, Trump and Meloni have parted company in recent months over Iran and public criticism of Pope Leo. The pair appeared to have an amicable conversation during the G-7 Summit in France earlier this week but appearances, much like Trump's claims, are deceiving.

While Meloni's public admonition of Trump will put her high on his shit list, it will certainly help her standing with Italian voters who are scheduled to go to the polls next year.

Vance Gives Israel The Zelensky Treatment

 

In defending in the so-called Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Iranian regime, Vice-President Vance castigated Israel in harsh, patronizing terms:

You have seen people within Bibi’s cabinet, who have come out and attacked the deal, and in some ways very personally attacked the president of the United States.

Number one, Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time. And he happens to be the head of state of the world’s superpower.

If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.

The other thing that I would say is that over the last three months, two thirds of the defensive weapons that have protected your homeland, have been built by American hands and paid for by American tax dollars.

The problem for Israel is not Donald J. Trump. And anybody in Israel who thinks their biggest problem is the president of the United States needs to wake up and smell the reality of the situation that country is in.

For all intents and purposes, Vance basically gave the Israeli government the Zelensky treatment. He all but asked, "Have you said thank you once?" 

But why would the Israeli government thank the Trump Administration for having sold it down the river? Iran is no more committed to giving up its nuclear program than it did with President Obama a decade ago. But the Trump Administration is lifting sanctions, will provide a reconstruction fund of at least $300 billion and protection for Iranian proxies in Lebanon namely Hezbollah. They have resuscitated the Iranian regime, the world's largest sponsor of terrorism. 

Yet according to Vance, President Trump is above criticism. With friends like Trump and Vance who needs enemies? Unfortunately, Israel is surrounded by enemies, and the Trump Administration is handing them the ammunition necessary to wipe Israel off the face of the Earth.

While it is true that Israel has few friends, Vance is simply lying when he says that Trump is his only friend. Israel has support from the likes of Indian PM Narendra Modi and Argentinian President Javier Milei.

It is also rich when Vance claims, "You can’t just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have.”

Last I checked, it was U.S. forces that killed over 100 schoolgirls. I don't think it was intentional. Yet Vance's commentary would strongly imply that Israel deliberately seeks to kill civilians. Aside from being defamatory, Vance is throwing rocks in a glass house.

Nothing Vance said today was helpful to anyone but the Iranian regime. Shame on him!!!