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Shelley Chadwick's avatar

This is awful. Hearing of Ali's arrest in Switzerland (of all places) hit me like a punch to the stomach. Richard, Sarah, Asa, Jon, and all the journalists reporting from Gaza have become like family to me. Thank you Mark for posting. I'm going to the EI website right now and donate.

God damn Israel to hell for messing with the truth-tellers.

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Mark Taylor's avatar

Yeah, Switzerland!??? WTH?

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Shelley Chadwick's avatar

I was arrested in Lyon France when the Barbie Trial (aka Nazi Butcher of Lyon) was happening. I was living in England but, still using my Canadian passport. They somehow thought l was part of the FLQ Paris attacks! Two armed officers interrogated me in French but, my French is/was barely high-school level.

It's terrifying when this happens. I actually entered France from Geneva on a ski tour bus and nobody batted an eye until l tried to leave via Lyon. I don't know why border/customs stopped stamping passports but, l make a point of asking for a stamp anyways.

I holiday's in Cyprus in 1992 and took a tour to Egypt, then across to Israel and back up to Cypus before returning to England. Instead of stamping my passport, Egypt staple a card in my British PP then removed it when l left. Same thing in Israel as if l'd never been to either country.

I saw a doco recently about the Darian Gap and how migrants get to the US border and ditch their PPs and IDs at Trumps Wall. How they get in without a passport doesn't make sense to me. No wonder Trump has no idea how many illegals are in the US.

Anyway, sorry for the rant.

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Mark Taylor's avatar

Interesting. You have far more experience with such things than me. Trump is right about the mess at our southern border. No country should have thousands entering without accountability. Biden will rank as the worst president of all time. Nobody talks about US responsibility for creating the very conditions of poverty and violence people are fleeing.

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JennyStokes's avatar

OK Mark.

I live in Europe (as you know) we can go from Spain /France/Italy without showing ANYTHING as long as our dog has a EURO Passport.

Trump is not correct about your fucking southern border. IF the USA had not meddled in wars in S. America you would have NO problem.

I am getting absolutely OUTRAGED by these facist policies in Europe and the USA.

STOP

The right wing Govts of the Western World are all corrupt.

I welcome immigrants coming to our Town. They are doing the work that no others will do.

We have hundreds of Ecuadorian immigrants in out Town.....they are fantastic/fun and work hard. Not only that but the food is delicious.

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Mark Taylor's avatar

Guess we'll just have to disagree on the issue of borders. What may work in Europe -- and from what I am seeing, it is not all going swimmingly -- would it work in the US.

As to the US role in the border/immigration crisis, I addressed that in a recent post:

Fundamental error America always makes

As usual with the United States, there is a confusion between “A” problem and “THE” problem. Mass illegal immigration is indeed “A” problem that leads to many other problems. But “THE” problem is many-faceted and lies completely within the borders of the United States, beginning with colonial diplomatic, economic, corporate terrorism and military abuse throughout Latin America.

We have actively participated in the theft of land from indigenous farming communities to enrich American agricultural, oil and mining corporations. Our CIA has orchestrated countless coups and assassinations in order to kill off labor movements put our own fascist stooges in power to serve Wall Street corporate interests and bottom lines.

The rise of the brutal drug cartels, which have caused many to flee northward, are serving the addiction of who? Americans. The cartels are fully American Made! It is the rise of drug addiction throughout our corrupt and collapsing society that is fueling the marketplace and profits of those drug gangs terrorizing their communities with automatic weapons made where? Oh, yeah, the United State! Guns: one of our few manufactured exports.

Truly, the border crisis is fully “American Made” and perpetuated.

https://mark192.substack.com/p/cartoon-link-to-legal-resources-for

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JennyStokes's avatar

The only reason this is working in Europe is because we have continually voted out the right wing/anti-immigration Le Pen. EVERY single election I have been here we ORGANIZE against Le Pen.it's tiring. On top of that is propaganda which we are not immune to.

Everything in Sri Lanka was taken away from them by the British, couldn't even think to build schools because they would be there forever. Short term thinking and no strategic planning.

IF Americans were not doing drugs where would the drug cartels be?

Why are Americans taking drugs?

I have read what you have said and I agree.

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JennyStokes's avatar

SWITZERLAND is a highly controlled nation.

I have 4 members of my family living there.......surveillance what?????????

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Wi The People's avatar

Goes to show you Swiss neutrality doesn't extend beyond the pockets of bankers.

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𝓙𝓪𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓵𝓯𝓮's avatar

To be neutral is to side with the oppressor.

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JennyStokes's avatar

How long has it taken for the US to discover this?

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𝓙𝓪𝓼𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓮 𝓦𝓸𝓵𝓯𝓮's avatar

Freedom in the West is a myth.

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Mark Taylor's avatar

You are granted the freedom to comply and fall in line.

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F....'s avatar

Grayzone >> Swiss official who jailed journalist Ali Abunimah is fanatical pro-Israel activist<<

https://thegrayzone.com/2025/01/28/swiss-official-journalist-ali-abunimah-pro-israel/

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F....'s avatar

A true humanitarian arrested and interrogated on arrival prior to a public speaking tour in Switzerland while standing ovations are reserved for war criminals with a arrest warrant.

This is the world we're living in.

Fascism didn't end when the second world war was over, it was only getting started.

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Mark Taylor's avatar

A disgrace to the millions killed by the Nazis. When you read the history of the CIA and learn about things like Operation Paperclip, which funneled Nazi scientists, officers and Intel agents into the US, and then sprinkled them throughout the government one can conclude Hitler may not have survived the war, but he won it.

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F....'s avatar

Not that he won it he didn't - whomever had been providing material support for the Nazi's won in the sense that they eventually took over from the Nazi's - as if that had been the real objective.

Prescott Bush was the Nazi's banker, Wall Street bailed out a bankrupt Nazi party back in 32 - but what did they get in return - look at it this way - much of Europe remains a US vassal state to this day - all her institutions are compromised with what appears to be the reason for the unlawful detention of the main character in this article.

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The Revolution Continues's avatar

I just ran into one of the Budde apologists online. They're putting out all sorts of memes about how wonderful she was to LGBTQIA people... Nothing about her speaking out against genocide, however. I guess that's not important in their opinion, especially if they're Dem-o-craps. Sigh!

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Jim S's avatar

Thank You Mark

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