Apparently we're at war.....says TOM

 

Oct 2, 2025 (255/1461)

I think TOM really does believe he’s on paid vacation. But he hasn’t forgotten about those pesky institutions of higher learning and his determination to put them under his thumb. The latest in extortion comes in the form of a “compact.” “Called the “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education,” it asks universities to accept the government’s definition of gender and apply it to campus bathrooms, locker rooms and women’s sports teams. It asks colleges to stop considering race, gender and a wide range of student demographics in the admissions process and to require undergraduate applicants to take the SAT or ACT. The 10-page proposed agreement was sent Wednesday to some of the most selective public and private universities: Vanderbilt, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth College, the University of Southern California, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Texas, the University of Arizona, Brown University and the University of Virginia. It was not clear how these schools were selected or why.

The nine universities could become “initial signatories” and are being invited to provide feedback before the language is finalized, according to the letter. It asks for a decision by Nov. 21.” What the actual f&&k? Like every president is going to jump and scream for a pen when they get this because it’s such an appealing proposition?? ACADEMIC FREEDOM anyone? Anyone?? “Under the compact, international enrollment would have to be capped at 15% of a college’s undergraduate student body, and no more than 5% could come from a single country. All the universities invited to the compact appear to be within the 15% threshold, though Dartmouth and USC are close, at 14%, according to federal data. Many universities do not report breakdowns by individual countries.” Wow. Even the densest of dolts has to recognize the autocracy in this. The government taking over the PRIVATE education system. And using extortion, the carrot of federal money, to force agreement to it. “The terms of the deal would be enforced by the Justice Department, with violators losing access to the compact’s benefits for no less than a year. Following violations bump the penalty to two years.

“Institutions of higher education are free to develop models and values other than those below,” the compact said, “if the institution elects to forego federal benefits.” Federal funds, which all of us pay into. And which all of us should direct our representatives (useless as they are) in Congress how to spend those funds.

And the no new wars president, who now wants there to be the Dept of War, has basically said we’re at war. “President Donald Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and says the United States is now in a “non-international armed conflict,” according to a Trump administration memo obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, following recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean.

Congress was notified about the designation by Pentagon officials on Wednesday, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The memo, startling in scope, signals a potential new moment not just in the Trump administration’s willingness to reach beyond the norms of presidential authority to wage war but in Trump’s stated “America First” agenda. It also raises stark questions about how far the White House intends to use its war powers and if Congress will exert its authority to approve — or ban — such military actions.” Of course they won’t. TOM can do no wrong. TOM is the best CIC ever. I guess when he realized that he was never getting the Nobel Peace prize, he doubled down on being diabolical. “(A)ccording to the memo, which refers to cartel members as “unlawful combatants.” “Therefore, the President determined these cartels are non-state armed groups, designated them as terrorist organizations, and determined that their actions constitute an armed attack against the United States.”

Pentagon officials could not provide a list of the designated terrorist organizations at the center of the conflict, a matter that was a major source of frustration for some of the lawmakers who were briefed, according to the person.”