The Class Portal server lit up early. Marcus sat at his desk with thesis notes spread around him—comparative democratic backsliding analysis, Weimar polarization patterns, the role of external conflict in authoritarian consolidation. But the server was where he saw theory becoming practice in real time.
The system messages dropped first. Netanyahu visited the White House today. First foreign leader invited to Trump's second term. The timing was deliberate.
system:
Update: President Trump signed EO 14199 today during Israeli PM Netanyahu's White House visit. Executive order withdraws United States from UN Human Rights Council, permanently ends all funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), and orders 180-day review of all international organizations for potential withdrawal. US had been UNRWA's largest donor at $300-400 million annually.
system:
Update: Justice Department and Department of Education antisemitism task force announced Feb 3 will visit 10 universities to investigate "failure to protect Jewish students": Columbia, George Washington, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania.
system:
Update: President Trump signed EO 14199 today during Israeli PM Netanyahu's White House visit. Executive order withdraws United States from UN Human Rights Council, permanently ends all funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), and orders 180-day review of all international organizations for potential withdrawal. US had been UNRWA's largest donor at $300-400 million annually.
Update: President Trump signed EO 14199 today during Israeli PM Netanyahu's White House visit. Executive order withdraws United States from UN Human Rights Council, permanently ends all funding to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees), and orders 180-day review of all international organizations for potential withdrawal. US had been UNRWA's largest donor at $300-400 million annually.
system:
Update: Justice Department and Department of Education antisemitism task force announced Feb 3 will visit 10 universities to investigate "failure to protect Jewish students": Columbia, George Washington, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania.
Update: Justice Department and Department of Education antisemitism task force announced Feb 3 will visit 10 universities to investigate "failure to protect Jewish students": Columbia, George Washington, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Northwestern, UC Berkeley, UCLA, University of Michigan, University of Pennsylvania.
Nisha's the first to respond. She's been tracking this since January 20.
nisha_d:
We need to talk about campus, not just Gaza. Day one they reversed sanctions on violent settlers and scrapped the "sensitive locations" guidance so campuses aren't safe from ICE anymore. That's not neutrality; that's state power aimed at students.
jake_m:
With all due respect, you're reading it as oppression. The President is restoring order. If international students endorse terror groups, visas aren't a right. The new antisemitism order isn't about speech policing; it's about protecting Jewish students who got harassed all fall.
amir_h:
I'm Palestinian. My cousin is sleeping on the floor of her kitchen in Khan Younis. A ceasefire took effect Jan 19, sure, but the policy shift here is real: Jan 20 EO to undo settler sanctions, Jan 29 EO 14188 threatening deportation for "pro-jihadist protests." You expect me to believe that won't be used to scare international students into silence?
nisha_d:
We need to talk about campus, not just Gaza. Day one they reversed sanctions on violent settlers and scrapped the "sensitive locations" guidance so campuses aren't safe from ICE anymore. That's not neutrality; that's state power aimed at students.
We need to talk about campus, not just Gaza. Day one they reversed sanctions on violent settlers and scrapped the "sensitive locations" guidance so campuses aren't safe from ICE anymore. That's not neutrality; that's state power aimed at students.
jake_m:
With all due respect, you're reading it as oppression. The President is restoring order. If international students endorse terror groups, visas aren't a right. The new antisemitism order isn't about speech policing; it's about protecting Jewish students who got harassed all fall.
With all due respect, you're reading it as oppression. The President is restoring order. If international students endorse terror groups, visas aren't a right. The new antisemitism order isn't about speech policing; it's about protecting Jewish students who got harassed all fall.
amir_h:
I'm Palestinian. My cousin is sleeping on the floor of her kitchen in Khan Younis. A ceasefire took effect Jan 19, sure, but the policy shift here is real: Jan 20 EO to undo settler sanctions, Jan 29 EO 14188 threatening deportation for "pro-jihadist protests." You expect me to believe that won't be used to scare international students into silence?
I'm Palestinian. My cousin is sleeping on the floor of her kitchen in Khan Younis. A ceasefire took effect Jan 19, sure, but the policy shift here is real: Jan 20 EO to undo settler sanctions, Jan 29 EO 14188 threatening deportation for "pro-jihadist protests." You expect me to believe that won't be used to scare international students into silence?
Marcus watched the thread develop. Amir's voice mattered here—he had family in Gaza, lived experience that the rest of them could only read about. But Marcus also needed to keep the comparative timeline visible. This sequence—external conflict used to justify domestic crackdowns—showed up across cases.
marcus_w: The policy architecture matters. When you undo sanctions on settlers (Jan 20) and then escalate campus enforcement (Jan 29 EO 14188, now Feb 3 task force), you're signaling whose actions are legitimate and whose speech is suspect. That's a structural pattern, not just individual policy choices.
billy_j: Cry me a river. If you don't like American law, don't come here. Trump said it straight: we will find you and deport you. Good. Campuses were infested. Time to clean house.
marcus_w: The policy architecture matters. When you undo sanctions on settlers (Jan 20) and then escalate campus enforcement (Jan 29 EO 14188, now Feb 3 task force), you're signaling whose actions are legitimate and whose speech is suspect. That's a structural pattern, not just individual policy choices.
billy_j: Cry me a river. If you don't like American law, don't come here. Trump said it straight: we will find you and deport you. Good. Campuses were infested. Time to clean house.
Billy's rhetoric was raw, but it represented a real constituency. For his thesis, Marcus needed to catalog these positions without dismissing them. The Nazis didn't win by being strawmen—they mobilized genuine grievances and fears.
nisha_d: And Harvard adopting IHRA the day before the EO? That's not a coincidence; it's pre-compliance. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition includes examples that fold criticism of Israeli policy into antisemitism. Harvard just weaponized it. Now any student who talks about Palestinian rights looks like they're trafficking in hate speech. That's a narrowing of debate dressed up as civil rights.
jake_m: The examples are about double standards and collective blame. If protests cross into harassment, that's discrimination. Government has a duty to enforce Title VI. The 2019 order already said that; this clarifies it.
nisha_d: And Harvard adopting IHRA the day before the EO? That's not a coincidence; it's pre-compliance. The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition includes examples that fold criticism of Israeli policy into antisemitism. Harvard just weaponized it. Now any student who talks about Palestinian rights looks like they're trafficking in hate speech. That's a narrowing of debate dressed up as civil rights.
jake_m: The examples are about double standards and collective blame. If protests cross into harassment, that's discrimination. Government has a duty to enforce Title VI. The 2019 order already said that; this clarifies it.
Marcus needed to intervene here. The definitional work mattered—what counted as harassment vs. criticism, how enforcement definitions shaped permissible speech.
marcus_w: Two things can be true. Antisemitism is real and dangerous; it needs confronting. Also, using immigration law as a speech tool creates a chilling effect. That's not hypothetical–link speech to deportation and you'll silence a class of students without ever proving a crime. That's a structural problem.
amir_h: "Clarifies" by telling agencies to inventory universities and build a pipeline for removals. And DHS campus protections gone on day one means immigrant students don't just worry about discipline–they worry about a knock at the door. That changes who speaks.
billy_j: Good. Actions have consequences. Chant for Hamas? Bye. Wear your little kefiyyeh? Enjoy TSA.
nisha_d: "Chant for Hamas" is doing a lot of work there. We're talking student groups calling for a ceasefire and divestment. Also: the same day they reversed sanctions on violent settlers. That's a signal.
marcus_w: Two things can be true. Antisemitism is real and dangerous; it needs confronting. Also, using immigration law as a speech tool creates a chilling effect. That's not hypothetical–link speech to deportation and you'll silence a class of students without ever proving a crime. That's a structural problem.
amir_h: "Clarifies" by telling agencies to inventory universities and build a pipeline for removals. And DHS campus protections gone on day one means immigrant students don't just worry about discipline–they worry about a knock at the door. That changes who speaks.
billy_j: Good. Actions have consequences. Chant for Hamas? Bye. Wear your little kefiyyeh? Enjoy TSA.
nisha_d: "Chant for Hamas" is doing a lot of work there. We're talking student groups calling for a ceasefire and divestment. Also: the same day they reversed sanctions on violent settlers. That's a signal.
Marcus redirected before it became pure tribal warfare. The category problem was real—how law distinguishes advocacy from material support, and how enforcement choices determine that line in practice.
marcus_w: The category mistake is treating all Palestinian advocacy as material support. Law can distinguish advocacy from incitement; policy is choosing not to. That's the rub.
jake_m: Then keep it within the lines. Don't block buildings. Don't target Jewish students. Don't flirt with terror slogans. If you do, don't be shocked when government responds.
amir_h: And when "within the lines" gets defined by EO and a hotline at State combing your socials? The line moves; that's the point. Today it's Hamas; tomorrow it's "pro-jihadist" meaning any Palestine rally. We see the pattern.
billy_j: Simple: America first, Israel ally, terrorists out. Period.
nisha_d: The architecture: punish protest, redefine antisemitism to police speech, and make immigrant students the test case. We're not backing down.
marcus_w: The category mistake is treating all Palestinian advocacy as material support. Law can distinguish advocacy from incitement; policy is choosing not to. That's the rub.
jake_m: Then keep it within the lines. Don't block buildings. Don't target Jewish students. Don't flirt with terror slogans. If you do, don't be shocked when government responds.
amir_h: And when "within the lines" gets defined by EO and a hotline at State combing your socials? The line moves; that's the point. Today it's Hamas; tomorrow it's "pro-jihadist" meaning any Palestine rally. We see the pattern.
billy_j: Simple: America first, Israel ally, terrorists out. Period.
nisha_d: The architecture: punish protest, redefine antisemitism to police speech, and make immigrant students the test case. We're not backing down.
The thread needed a circuit breaker. Marcus tried his heat-check move—asking people to name their harm and their tool. It didn't always work, but it exposed the underlying disagreements.
marcus_w: Heat check: People are talking past each other. Try a ground rule: name the harm you want stopped, and the tool you'll accept to stop it. I'll go first–harm: antisemitic harassment and threats. Tool: discipline for conduct, not viewpoint; no immigration weaponization. Your turn.
jake_m: Harm: Jewish students feeling unsafe on campus. Tool: enforce Title VI and EO guidance; remove non-citizens who endorse terror.
amir_h: Harm: criminalization of Palestinian identity and advocacy. Tool: protect speech unless it's targeted harassment or true threats; reinstate campus protections from immigration raids.
billy_j: Harm: America getting soft. Tool: law and order. Knock heads if needed.
nisha_d: That's not a tool; that's a cudgel.
marcus_w: And that's the impasse. Different harms, different tools. No amount of "with all due respect" resolves this in a thread. But if the tools collapse speech into status, the university stops being a university.
billy_j: Or it finally becomes a school again.
marcus_w: Heat check: People are talking past each other. Try a ground rule: name the harm you want stopped, and the tool you'll accept to stop it. I'll go first–harm: antisemitic harassment and threats. Tool: discipline for conduct, not viewpoint; no immigration weaponization. Your turn.
jake_m: Harm: Jewish students feeling unsafe on campus. Tool: enforce Title VI and EO guidance; remove non-citizens who endorse terror.
amir_h: Harm: criminalization of Palestinian identity and advocacy. Tool: protect speech unless it's targeted harassment or true threats; reinstate campus protections from immigration raids.
billy_j: Harm: America getting soft. Tool: law and order. Knock heads if needed.
nisha_d: That's not a tool; that's a cudgel.
marcus_w: And that's the impasse. Different harms, different tools. No amount of "with all due respect" resolves this in a thread. But if the tools collapse speech into status, the university stops being a university.
billy_j: Or it finally becomes a school again.
The conversation shifted to the death toll. Amir brought numbers—the kind that made abstractions concrete.
amir_h:
Numbers, since folks keep asking: the Gaza Health Ministry's hospital and morgue count is roughly forty-seven to forty-eight thousand deaths at this point. Officials say it's an undercount–thousands are still under rubble or in areas rescuers can't reach. The ceasefire didn't stop people from dying; it just let more bodies be found.
jake_m:
Those numbers are horrific. But high civilian casualties in urban war don't automatically equal genocide. Genocide is an intent question, not just a tally.
nisha_d:
Intent shows up in patterns and policies. When you undo sanctions on violent settlers on day one and then move to criminalize campus dissent nine days later, you're drawing a line about whose lives are legible. That's not proof in court, but it's a moral signal.
billy_j:
It's war. Hamas started it. Israel defends itself. Collateral damage is tragic, not genocide. Stop abusing the word.
amir_h:
Numbers, since folks keep asking: the Gaza Health Ministry's hospital and morgue count is roughly forty-seven to forty-eight thousand deaths at this point. Officials say it's an undercount–thousands are still under rubble or in areas rescuers can't reach. The ceasefire didn't stop people from dying; it just let more bodies be found.
Numbers, since folks keep asking: the Gaza Health Ministry's hospital and morgue count is roughly forty-seven to forty-eight thousand deaths at this point. Officials say it's an undercount–thousands are still under rubble or in areas rescuers can't reach. The ceasefire didn't stop people from dying; it just let more bodies be found.
jake_m:
Those numbers are horrific. But high civilian casualties in urban war don't automatically equal genocide. Genocide is an intent question, not just a tally.
Those numbers are horrific. But high civilian casualties in urban war don't automatically equal genocide. Genocide is an intent question, not just a tally.
nisha_d:
Intent shows up in patterns and policies. When you undo sanctions on violent settlers on day one and then move to criminalize campus dissent nine days later, you're drawing a line about whose lives are legible. That's not proof in court, but it's a moral signal.
Intent shows up in patterns and policies. When you undo sanctions on violent settlers on day one and then move to criminalize campus dissent nine days later, you're drawing a line about whose lives are legible. That's not proof in court, but it's a moral signal.
billy_j:
It's war. Hamas started it. Israel defends itself. Collateral damage is tragic, not genocide. Stop abusing the word.
It's war. Hamas started it. Israel defends itself. Collateral damage is tragic, not genocide. Stop abusing the word.
Marcus needed to step in here. His thesis work on legal frameworks and political rhetoric intersected directly. The genocide question had doctrinal components that shouldn't be collapsed into sloganeering.
marcus_w:
Definition check: genocide is acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a protected group. Evidence can be direct (orders, statements) or inferred (pattern, scale, foreseeability while continuing policy). People will disagree about which threshold is crossed here–but the inference analysis is legitimate, not rhetorical cheating.
amir_h:
From where I sit, intent feels obvious. Forty-something thousand dead, and the official count misses many. My family doesn't get to argue definitions when the lights go out.
jake_m:
Respectfully, feelings can't decide legal categories. Intent matters. If the objective is to dismantle a militant group and civilians die despite precautions, that's terrible, but it's not the same thing.
nisha_d:
Precautions? The policy choices are public. The civilian toll is not incidental when you level neighborhoods for months and choke aid. We can't fix Gaza from here, but we can stop importing intimidation into our campus politics. Day one and day nine tell me the federal priority is punishing critics, not protecting life.
billy_j:
Federal priority is law and order. Don't like it? Win elections.
marcus_w:
We circled back to tools. If you label advocacy as terror-adjacent and tie it to deportation risk, you'll never hear from the people most affected. Then your "debate" will only measure the volume of the unafraid.
jake_m:
Or it will separate lawful protest from unlawful intimidation. That's the point of Title VI and the EO.
amir_h:
Title VI isn't supposed to be a gag rule for Palestine. Neither is immigration law. If the cost of speaking is your visa, you won't speak–and then the numbers become abstract for people whose families aren't counted.
marcus_w:
Definition check: genocide is acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a protected group. Evidence can be direct (orders, statements) or inferred (pattern, scale, foreseeability while continuing policy). People will disagree about which threshold is crossed here–but the inference analysis is legitimate, not rhetorical cheating.
Definition check: genocide is acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a protected group. Evidence can be direct (orders, statements) or inferred (pattern, scale, foreseeability while continuing policy). People will disagree about which threshold is crossed here–but the inference analysis is legitimate, not rhetorical cheating.
amir_h:
From where I sit, intent feels obvious. Forty-something thousand dead, and the official count misses many. My family doesn't get to argue definitions when the lights go out.
From where I sit, intent feels obvious. Forty-something thousand dead, and the official count misses many. My family doesn't get to argue definitions when the lights go out.
jake_m:
Respectfully, feelings can't decide legal categories. Intent matters. If the objective is to dismantle a militant group and civilians die despite precautions, that's terrible, but it's not the same thing.
Respectfully, feelings can't decide legal categories. Intent matters. If the objective is to dismantle a militant group and civilians die despite precautions, that's terrible, but it's not the same thing.
nisha_d:
Precautions? The policy choices are public. The civilian toll is not incidental when you level neighborhoods for months and choke aid. We can't fix Gaza from here, but we can stop importing intimidation into our campus politics. Day one and day nine tell me the federal priority is punishing critics, not protecting life.
Precautions? The policy choices are public. The civilian toll is not incidental when you level neighborhoods for months and choke aid. We can't fix Gaza from here, but we can stop importing intimidation into our campus politics. Day one and day nine tell me the federal priority is punishing critics, not protecting life.
billy_j:
Federal priority is law and order. Don't like it? Win elections.
Federal priority is law and order. Don't like it? Win elections.
marcus_w:
We circled back to tools. If you label advocacy as terror-adjacent and tie it to deportation risk, you'll never hear from the people most affected. Then your "debate" will only measure the volume of the unafraid.
We circled back to tools. If you label advocacy as terror-adjacent and tie it to deportation risk, you'll never hear from the people most affected. Then your "debate" will only measure the volume of the unafraid.
jake_m:
Or it will separate lawful protest from unlawful intimidation. That's the point of Title VI and the EO.
Or it will separate lawful protest from unlawful intimidation. That's the point of Title VI and the EO.
amir_h:
Title VI isn't supposed to be a gag rule for Palestine. Neither is immigration law. If the cost of speaking is your visa, you won't speak–and then the numbers become abstract for people whose families aren't counted.
Title VI isn't supposed to be a gag rule for Palestine. Neither is immigration law. If the cost of speaking is your visa, you won't speak–and then the numbers become abstract for people whose families aren't counted.
Nisha brought up the law of war. The discussion moved into doctrinal territory—international humanitarian law, distinction, proportionality.
nisha_d:
One more thing before I go: children are non-combatants. When non-military targets get hit and kids die, that's not just "fog of war." At some point it's a choice architecture.
jake_m:
The law of war still applies, yes, but Hamas embeds in civilian areas. How do you target a group with no uniforms, no bases in the open, without awful collateral damage? That's the dilemma–not an excuse, a reality.
nisha_d:
One more thing before I go: children are non-combatants. When non-military targets get hit and kids die, that's not just "fog of war." At some point it's a choice architecture.
One more thing before I go: children are non-combatants. When non-military targets get hit and kids die, that's not just "fog of war." At some point it's a choice architecture.
jake_m:
The law of war still applies, yes, but Hamas embeds in civilian areas. How do you target a group with no uniforms, no bases in the open, without awful collateral damage? That's the dilemma–not an excuse, a reality.
The law of war still applies, yes, but Hamas embeds in civilian areas. How do you target a group with no uniforms, no bases in the open, without awful collateral damage? That's the dilemma–not an excuse, a reality.
Marcus knew the doctrine here from his comparative work on conflict and democratic backsliding. The law of war had anchors—principles that didn't disappear just because urban warfare was hard.
marcus_w:
Three anchors: distinction (don't target civilians), proportionality (don't launch an attack where expected civilian harm is excessive relative to concrete military advantage), and precautions (take all feasible steps to minimize civilian harm). "Human shields" complicates but doesn't erase those duties. That's the doctrinal frame.
amir_h:
And if you keep striking anyway, knowing who's in those buildings, you don't get to shrug and say "unintended." Foreseeable is a kind of intent when you choose to proceed.
billy_j:
If they hide among civilians, that's on them. Hamas runs the place. You live with terrorists, you are not a bystander. Targets are targets.
nisha_d:
Collective guilt is not law. Children didn't "choose" anything.
jake_m:
No one's saying children are legitimate targets. The claim is that militants are–despite their tactics–and the tragedy is civilians are harmed in the process. The question is whether different tactics are feasible.
marcus_w:
Which loops us back to feasibility and foreseeability. If the only available tactic predictably kills large numbers of civilians, the legality argument gets shaky fast.
amir_h:
We're past abstract. The body counts are public. You can call it tragedy, I call it a line crossed.
billy_j:
Lines got crossed on Oct 7. Actions have consequences.
nisha_d:
Consequences aren't a blank check.
marcus_w:
Three anchors: distinction (don't target civilians), proportionality (don't launch an attack where expected civilian harm is excessive relative to concrete military advantage), and precautions (take all feasible steps to minimize civilian harm). "Human shields" complicates but doesn't erase those duties. That's the doctrinal frame.
Three anchors: distinction (don't target civilians), proportionality (don't launch an attack where expected civilian harm is excessive relative to concrete military advantage), and precautions (take all feasible steps to minimize civilian harm). "Human shields" complicates but doesn't erase those duties. That's the doctrinal frame.
amir_h:
And if you keep striking anyway, knowing who's in those buildings, you don't get to shrug and say "unintended." Foreseeable is a kind of intent when you choose to proceed.
And if you keep striking anyway, knowing who's in those buildings, you don't get to shrug and say "unintended." Foreseeable is a kind of intent when you choose to proceed.
billy_j:
If they hide among civilians, that's on them. Hamas runs the place. You live with terrorists, you are not a bystander. Targets are targets.
If they hide among civilians, that's on them. Hamas runs the place. You live with terrorists, you are not a bystander. Targets are targets.
nisha_d:
Collective guilt is not law. Children didn't "choose" anything.
Collective guilt is not law. Children didn't "choose" anything.
jake_m:
No one's saying children are legitimate targets. The claim is that militants are–despite their tactics–and the tragedy is civilians are harmed in the process. The question is whether different tactics are feasible.
No one's saying children are legitimate targets. The claim is that militants are–despite their tactics–and the tragedy is civilians are harmed in the process. The question is whether different tactics are feasible.
marcus_w:
Which loops us back to feasibility and foreseeability. If the only available tactic predictably kills large numbers of civilians, the legality argument gets shaky fast.
Which loops us back to feasibility and foreseeability. If the only available tactic predictably kills large numbers of civilians, the legality argument gets shaky fast.
amir_h:
We're past abstract. The body counts are public. You can call it tragedy, I call it a line crossed.
We're past abstract. The body counts are public. You can call it tragedy, I call it a line crossed.
billy_j:
Lines got crossed on Oct 7. Actions have consequences.
Lines got crossed on Oct 7. Actions have consequences.
nisha_d:
Consequences aren't a blank check.
Consequences aren't a blank check.
The thread was exhausting itself. People talked past each other now, repeating positions. Marcus tried one more intervention—a meta-observation that might help Wednesday's class.
marcus_w:
Take notes for Wednesday: doctrine vs. morals vs. politics. Same facts, different lenses.
nisha_d:
Thread's getting long.
marcus_w:
Save the receipts. Bring sources. See you there.
amir_h:
I'm logging off. Some of us have families under drones.
nisha_d:
Same.
jake_m:
Stay safe.
marcus_w:
Read carefully. Speak carefully. See you Wednesday.
marcus_w:
Take notes for Wednesday: doctrine vs. morals vs. politics. Same facts, different lenses.
Take notes for Wednesday: doctrine vs. morals vs. politics. Same facts, different lenses.
nisha_d:
Thread's getting long.
Thread's getting long.
marcus_w:
Save the receipts. Bring sources. See you there.
Save the receipts. Bring sources. See you there.
amir_h:
I'm logging off. Some of us have families under drones.
I'm logging off. Some of us have families under drones.
nisha_d:
Same.
Same.
jake_m:
Stay safe.
Stay safe.
marcus_w:
Read carefully. Speak carefully. See you Wednesday.
Read carefully. Speak carefully. See you Wednesday.
The Class Portal fell quiet. Marcus sat back, looking at the screen. The conversation was useful—it exposed the frameworks, the different moral universes operating from the same set of facts. But he needed to see how these conversations translated beyond the seminar-room civility of the Class Portal.
He closed the Class Portal tab and pulled up Twitter on his phone.
Nisha's latest from that afternoon was a thread on UNRWA funding:
@nisha_desai_activist: Trump cut ALL funding to UNRWA during Netanyahu visit. 5.7 million Palestinian refugees depend on UNRWA for schools, healthcare, aid. This isn't just about Gaza–it's West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria. Defunding = collective punishment. [Thread] #UNRWA #Palestine
@nisha_desai_activist: Trump cut ALL funding to UNRWA during Netanyahu visit. 5.7 million Palestinian refugees depend on UNRWA for schools, healthcare, aid. This isn't just about Gaza–it's West Bank, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria. Defunding = collective punishment. [Thread] #UNRWA #Palestine
The replies came fast. Her followers were the activist left—students, organizers, academics, solidarity activists.
@PalestineSolidarity: This is ethnic cleansing by bureaucratic means. Cut the aid, starve them out, force displacement. It's the same playbook.
@CampusJusticeNow: And the 10 universities under investigation for "failing to protect Jewish students"? That's the domestic enforcement arm. Punish dissent abroad AND at home.
@DecolonizeEdu: Meanwhile they withdrew from UN Human Rights Council same day. Message is clear: no oversight, no accountability, no limits.
@StudentActivist2025: My friend (international student) is terrified to even retweet Palestine content now. That's the chilling effect in action.
@PalestineSolidarity: This is ethnic cleansing by bureaucratic means. Cut the aid, starve them out, force displacement. It's the same playbook.
@CampusJusticeNow: And the 10 universities under investigation for "failing to protect Jewish students"? That's the domestic enforcement arm. Punish dissent abroad AND at home.
@DecolonizeEdu: Meanwhile they withdrew from UN Human Rights Council same day. Message is clear: no oversight, no accountability, no limits.
@StudentActivist2025: My friend (international student) is terrified to even retweet Palestine content now. That's the chilling effect in action.
Critics wandered in too—conservative accounts looking to argue:
@ProIsraelVoice: UNRWA is infiltrated by Hamas. US shouldn't fund terrorists. This is common sense.
@PatriotFirst2025: Maybe Palestinian "refugees" should stop teaching their kids to hate Jews and Israel wouldn't have to defend itself.
@ProIsraelVoice: UNRWA is infiltrated by Hamas. US shouldn't fund terrorists. This is common sense.
@PatriotFirst2025: Maybe Palestinian "refugees" should stop teaching their kids to hate Jews and Israel wouldn't have to defend itself.
Nisha engaged selectively. She quote-tweeted the supportive ones, added resources, ignored the trolls. Her community was echoey but mobilized—they were organizing teach-ins, planning protests, building solidarity networks. The energy was defensive but determined.
Jake's feed shifted perspective:
@jake_morrison2025: Trump defunded UNRWA because intelligence shows Hamas infiltration. UN itself admitted some UNRWA employees participated in Oct 7 attacks. Protecting aid integrity isn't collective punishment–it's accountability. We can support Palestinian civilians without funding terror infrastructure.
@jake_morrison2025: Trump defunded UNRWA because intelligence shows Hamas infiltration. UN itself admitted some UNRWA employees participated in Oct 7 attacks. Protecting aid integrity isn't collective punishment–it's accountability. We can support Palestinian civilians without funding terror infrastructure.
His replies showed a different world. His followers were the Trump coalition—veterans, small business owners, working-class conservatives, evangelical Christians.
@VeteranForIsrael: Finally a president who doesn't apologize for supporting our ally. Israel has every right to defend itself. Hamas uses civilians as shields.
@ChristianPatriot88: Praying for Israel. God will bless those who bless Israel. Trump understands this. Genesis 12:3.
@SmallBizConservative: The UN is corrupt and anti-American. Why are we funding organizations that hate us? Trump is bringing sanity back.
@WorkingClassMAGA: My tax dollars shouldn't fund people who celebrate terrorism. Simple as that.
@VeteranForIsrael: Finally a president who doesn't apologize for supporting our ally. Israel has every right to defend itself. Hamas uses civilians as shields.
@ChristianPatriot88: Praying for Israel. God will bless those who bless Israel. Trump understands this. Genesis 12:3.
@SmallBizConservative: The UN is corrupt and anti-American. Why are we funding organizations that hate us? Trump is bringing sanity back.
@WorkingClassMAGA: My tax dollars shouldn't fund people who celebrate terrorism. Simple as that.
Liberal replies appeared too, but outnumbered:
@HumanRightsWatch_supporter: UNRWA provides healthcare and education to millions. Defunding it punishes innocent people, especially children.
@HumanRightsWatch_supporter: UNRWA provides healthcare and education to millions. Defunding it punishes innocent people, especially children.
Jake responded politely, citing sources, asking clarifying questions. He didn't block; he engaged. His community was defensive but confident—patriotic, practical, convinced they were supporting the right side.
Billy's account represented yet another universe. Marcus had been avoiding it, but for his thesis he needed to see the full spectrum. Jake represented the articulate, college-educated MAGA voice. Billy represented something rawer.
@MAGA_BillyJ_PatriotWarrior: TRUMP DEFUNDS UN TERRORISTS. HELL YES. These "refugees" have been leeching off us for DECADES while teaching their kids to murder Jews. CUT THEM OFF. Let their Arab "brothers" deal with them. AMERICA FIRST MEANS AMERICA FIRST. 🇺🇸🇮🇱 #DefundUN #MAGA
@MAGA_BillyJ_PatriotWarrior: TRUMP DEFUNDS UN TERRORISTS. HELL YES. These "refugees" have been leeching off us for DECADES while teaching their kids to murder Jews. CUT THEM OFF. Let their Arab "brothers" deal with them. AMERICA FIRST MEANS AMERICA FIRST. 🇺🇸🇮🇱 #DefundUN #MAGA
The replies poured in. This was where the true believers congregated:
@TrumpWarrior2025: FINALLY!!! No more US tax dollars funding jihad. Trump sees through the UN bullshit. They HATE America and Israel. DEFUND THEM ALL.
@PatriotMom1776: These "Palestinian refugees" chose Hamas. They celebrate when Jews die. Why should we feel sorry for them? Actions have consequences!!!
@WhiteHouseFaith: Trump is doing God's work. Israel is God's chosen nation. Anyone who curses Israel will be cursed. Praying for Trump's strength against the globalist demons. 🙏✝️🇮🇱
@LibsGetDestroyed: Liberal tears are DELICIOUS. "But the children!!" Maybe teach your kids not to support terrorists. Problem solved.
@MAGA_Forever45: The UN Human Rights Council is a JOKE. Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba on a "human rights" council? Trump is RIGHT to pull out. Swamp draining continues!
@TrumpWarrior2025: FINALLY!!! No more US tax dollars funding jihad. Trump sees through the UN bullshit. They HATE America and Israel. DEFUND THEM ALL.
@PatriotMom1776: These "Palestinian refugees" chose Hamas. They celebrate when Jews die. Why should we feel sorry for them? Actions have consequences!!!
@WhiteHouseFaith: Trump is doing God's work. Israel is God's chosen nation. Anyone who curses Israel will be cursed. Praying for Trump's strength against the globalist demons. 🙏✝️🇮🇱
@LibsGetDestroyed: Liberal tears are DELICIOUS. "But the children!!" Maybe teach your kids not to support terrorists. Problem solved.
@MAGA_Forever45: The UN Human Rights Council is a JOKE. Saudi Arabia, China, Cuba on a "human rights" council? Trump is RIGHT to pull out. Swamp draining continues!
Worship quality permeated the feed. Not political debate—tribal affirmation. Trump as warrior-savior, enemies as demons. Billy's followers didn't analyze policy; they performed loyalty.
Liberal replies that wandered in got destroyed:
@HumanRightsNow: This will cause a humanitarian catastrophe. UNRWA runs schools for 650,000 children in Gaza alone.
@MAGA_BillyJ_PatriotWarrior: @HumanRightsNow Good. Maybe their parents will stop electing terrorists to run their s***hole. Not our problem. We tried helping–they chose jihad.
@TrumpWarrior2025: @HumanRightsNow Those "schools" teach kids to hate Jews. Defund them all. Let the Arab world deal with their own mess.
@PatriotMom1776: @HumanRightsNow You care more about Palestinians than American veterans sleeping on streets. PRIORITIES.
@HumanRightsNow: This will cause a humanitarian catastrophe. UNRWA runs schools for 650,000 children in Gaza alone.
@MAGA_BillyJ_PatriotWarrior: @HumanRightsNow Good. Maybe their parents will stop electing terrorists to run their s***hole. Not our problem. We tried helping–they chose jihad.
@TrumpWarrior2025: @HumanRightsNow Those "schools" teach kids to hate Jews. Defund them all. Let the Arab world deal with their own mess.
@PatriotMom1776: @HumanRightsNow You care more about Palestinians than American veterans sleeping on streets. PRIORITIES.
Billy didn't debate—he attacked. His replies were profane, absolute, tribal. No acknowledgment of complexity, no room for nuance. The world was binary: Trump supporters and traitors. Terror-sympathizers and patriots.
Marcus scrolled to an earlier post:
@MAGA_BillyJ_PatriotWarrior: Colleges under investigation for antisemitism? ABOUT D*** TIME. These campuses let pro-Hamas mobs harass Jewish students all year. Now Trump's DOJ is bringing the hammer. Deport the foreign students, defund the universities, CLEAN HOUSE. Law and order is BACK. 🔨⚖️
@CampusPatriot2025: YES! My kid couldn't walk to class without seeing "intifada" posters. Jewish students were terrified. Finally someone's taking action.
@TrumpLaw&Order: Columbia, Harvard, Berkeley–all infested with leftist professors brainwashing kids to hate America and Israel. Investigate them ALL.
@FaithAndFreedom88: This is spiritual warfare. The left hates God, hates Israel, hates Trump because he exposes their lies. Stay strong patriots. We're winning.
@MAGA_BillyJ_PatriotWarrior: Colleges under investigation for antisemitism? ABOUT D*** TIME. These campuses let pro-Hamas mobs harass Jewish students all year. Now Trump's DOJ is bringing the hammer. Deport the foreign students, defund the universities, CLEAN HOUSE. Law and order is BACK. 🔨⚖️
@CampusPatriot2025: YES! My kid couldn't walk to class without seeing "intifada" posters. Jewish students were terrified. Finally someone's taking action.
@TrumpLaw&Order: Columbia, Harvard, Berkeley–all infested with leftist professors brainwashing kids to hate America and Israel. Investigate them ALL.
@FaithAndFreedom88: This is spiritual warfare. The left hates God, hates Israel, hates Trump because he exposes their lies. Stay strong patriots. We're winning.
Marcus screenshotted these exchanges. For his thesis, this was the layer beneath the Class Portal civility—rage, devotion, tribal warfare. Billy's feed wasn't a debate space; it was a ritual of affirmation.
He toggled between the three feeds on his laptop—Nisha's activist left, Jake's pragmatic MAGA, Billy's true believer cult. Three separate Americas, each convinced of its moral clarity. Nisha and Jake could maybe talk to each other in person, grudgingly. Billy's world was hermetically sealed—no conversation possible there, only declarations of loyalty and attacks on enemies.
The Class Portal had been a seminar room. Twitter was the streets.
For his comparative work—Weimar's polarized press, the Nazis' mastery of working-class resentment—this was the raw material. How movements built by exploiting legitimate grievances. How language created worlds where the other side became inhuman.
Marcus sat back, scrolling between feeds. The same executive order—EO 14199, UNRWA defunding, UN Human Rights Council withdrawal—generated three completely different realities. Nisha's followers saw ethnic cleansing by bureaucratic means. Jake's followers saw accountability and supporting an ally. Billy's followers saw holy war and enemies destroyed.
None of them acknowledged the others' legitimate concerns. Nisha's world didn't register Jewish students' fear of harassment. Jake's world didn't register the chilling effect on Palestinian students. Billy's world registered only tribal victory.
He typed notes straight from the screen:
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