You Say You Want a Revolution

Posted on by under activism, Neutrality and Complicity, Notes on the Anti-War Movement, Palestine

The local papers around Princeton are gushing over an event that took place in town this morning:

In 1776, the New Jersey Legislature convened for the first time in Nassau Hall, the ivy-covered building that is now the centerpiece of Princeton University’s campus.

It was wartime, but the new legislators kept busy: within months, they had adopted the state’s first constitution, elected the state’s first governor, and kick-started preparations to help the Continental Army fight British redcoats. The British eventually seized the building, before being kicked out again by George Washington’s army in the Battle of Princeton, but by then the legislators had moved on.

Two-hundred-fifty years later, as the United States prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of its independence, the New Jersey Assembly returned to Nassau Hall to celebrate its role in New Jersey’s revolutionary history.

“Today isn’t simply a change in venue for us,” Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin said. “It’s a return home, a return to our beginnings, to the place where our Legislature first met in 1776 at the dawn of a new and uncertain democracy.”

The Assembly approved a series of ceremonial resolutions honoring New Jersey’s role in the American Revolution, Princeton University’s 280th anniversary, the New Jersey National Guard, and battleships named for New Jersey, among others.

The celebrants included Lt. Gov. Dale Caldwell, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber, and British Consul General to New York Oliver Christian.

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Free Speech in Montgomery

Posted on by under activism, cancel culture, Neutrality and Complicity, Notes on the Anti-War Movement, Palestine

Statement to Montgomery Township Committee
100 Community Dr
Skillman, New Jersey
February 5, 2026

Revised for presentation (to better fit the 3-minute time limit), February 5, 2026

On January 7th, Sadaf Jaffer, the former mayor of Montgomery and former head of its Democratic Organization, made public something that this Committee has known for a year. About a year ago, she said, Mayor Neena Singh and Deputy Mayor Vince Barragan demanded her resignation from the Democratic Organization because Montgomery Township was being denied state and county funds in retaliation for, her, Jaffer’s, criticisms of US and Israeli policy in Palestine. I have an audio file of Mr Barragan’s making this demand.
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Character, Complicity, and the Epstein Files

Posted on by under cancel culture, character based voting, Neutrality and Complicity

Monsters rule your world
Are you too scared to understand?
–Motorhead, “The Brotherhood of Man”

The first thing I have to say about the Epstein Files is that at this point, nobody can tell me that character-based voting is a politically-irrelevant fringe idea, and that my banging on about it for the last decade has been a waste of breath. A person’s sheer presence in the Epstein Files is not by itself evidence of guilt, but when the files do furnish evidence of guilt, it’s obvious that the guilt in question is politically relevant whether or not it’s policy relevant. Imagine that we resurrected a version of Jeffrey Epstein whose policy views aligned with yours, and who was running for office. Would you vote for him? Would Jason Brennan?

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Hell Is for Children

Posted on by under Palestine

This is a few months after the Israelis ambushed the kid while playing soccer in the street, shot him for fun, and left him for dead. He barely survived. He’s 10.

“But surely he must have done something to provoke that response…?” He did. He existed.

Regulating Speech at Princeton’s Kiosks

Posted on by under activism, cancel culture, migrant defense, moralism, Neutrality and Complicity, Notes on the Anti-War Movement, Palestine

This is the statement I gave tonight on the issue of the kiosks at Princeton Council:

I’m here to speak about the replacement of the kiosks on Nassau St with electronic versions. I should say that I was unconvinced by the Council’s arguments for replacing the kiosks, and remain unconvinced, but my comment tonight is more query than statement.

In the debate over the kiosks back in 2024, Councilwoman Sacks was quoted in The Princeton Patch as saying:  Continue reading →

Montgomery Township’s Speech Subversion Scheme

Posted on by under activism, cancel culture, Neutrality and Complicity, Notes on the Anti-War Movement, Palestine

This is a letter to the editor of The Montgomery News–a monthly newspaper published in Montgomery, New Jersey–regarding the case of Sadaf Jaffer that was mentioned here a week ago. If printed, the letter will appear in the February issue. Ms Jaffer’s comment appears at minute 16:30 of this video. 

Dear Editor:

I’m writing to draw attention to comments made at the January 7 meeting of the Montgomery Township Committee by former mayor Sadaf Jaffer, also the former chair of Montgomery’s Democratic Organization. Continue reading →

Flat World Meets Flat Mind

Posted on by under migrant defense, Palestine

The word “Minneapolis” is a hybrid of Minnesota and Nablus (“Neapolis”). The Minnesota were an indigenous tribe wiped out by the West, itself inspired by Rome, and Nablus is a Roman city in the Middle Eastern colony the Romans starved, ethnically cleansed, conquered, settled, and ruled. The connection you’re looking for, Tom, is called “imperialism.” If you seek its monument, look around. But start by opening your eyes.

Welcome to the Occupation

Posted on by under migrant defense, MTSP Discussion: Fuller's Morality of Law, MTSP Discussion: H.L.A. Hart's Concept of Law, Palestine, pedagogy

A Facebook memory from September 2017. I neglected to mention that I got the title and general inspiration from Russell Means’s 1992 lecture, “Welcome to the Reservation.” Unfortunately, both messages have aged well. Here’s The Intercept piece that provided the occasion for the post.