Jamal A. Rayyis

wine and food writer + lecturer, with an eye toward culture, politics, and deconstructing 'tradition.'

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@JasonMiyaresVA Cuba has suffered a punishing US economic blockade for decades, including 2ndary sanctions against non-US companies trading trade there. Yet, it has an excellent health and education system maintains and exceptional cultural institutions. Your assertions are disingenuous.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@cabot_phillips I know! I tried ordering a book about the wines of southern France, and it was $400. Clearly, the evil commie gatekeepers from the grands châteaux of Bordeaux are keeping me from that book! Then I got it from the public (commie) library! Hoisted by their own petard!

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@AnnieRie49727 @DrcharlieWardQ @POTUS I didn't say they didn't have them. I implied they were competent candidates whose sexual preferences or gender identities did not override their qualifications. Read more closely.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@AnnieRie49727 @DrcharlieWardQ @POTUS Name a high ranking official appointed by Biden or Obama because being gay took precedence over qualifications (not saying you have to agree with their politics or that they always did an exemplary job).

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@notabot876 @ggreenwald @joey30765441 @micsolana Impossible for some to imagine a time when Twitter/X posts weren't a thing, but the platform didn't start until spring 2006, over 5 years after the 9-11 attacks. I suppose we all, @ggreenwald, included, could have backtracked to condemn every prior offense in history. Our bad.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@fud31 Bronx's Belmont district, aka Little Italy/Arthur Ave has had a significant Albanian pop for decades, replacing Italian heritage people going to the suburbs. Takes years to change neighborhood demographics, not the 7 mos Mamdani's been in office. You just make shit up.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@timurkuran Shocking: people didn't like living in a sclerotic, Stalinist police state when they could live in a dynamic country with socialist social protections? Wasn't exactly a choice between communism and capitalism, was it?

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@CSallustius @ELuttwak Beyond recognition, you're right! Now highly intelligent, thoughtful, caring candidates are mayors of the world's most cosmopolitan cities instead of self-serving, blustering clowns like Johnson and Giuliani. Sorry for your loss.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@RazzilDarkbrew5 @ggreenwald Fine. The 'left,' whatever that means, is full of twits, but as Alex Cockburn reminded folks, categories like 'politically correct'/PC, which evolved and twisted to 'woke' were created by leftist as a label for uptight (fellow, sic)-travelers lacking humor. Most aren't that.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@m4704008298721 @DavidDeutschOxf Much as some like to hang on to words and names, just b/c they've been in longtime use, language evolves to suit the needs of the moment, social, political, etc. Thailand is one example. Next to no one calls it Siam these days, despite centuries of use. Yet, Siamese cats persist.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@hopecorefan @LindseyBoylan Yes, indeed! (I voted for you, anyway).

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@keithdorejel Goldman's not a sycophant. He's a true believer, unlike opportunistic pols like Espaillat, Reynoso, or Adams (take your pick). Lander's not far off from Goldman, but he has limits. Goldman voted in ways that even reliable pro-Israel reps like Nadler wouldn't.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@zei_squirrel As an extension of his authority, the US president can delegate tasks such as these to preferred representatives/agents. Of course these two were picked b/c of their ideology, plus fealty to Trump. But, if, as you say, the whole power elite agree, doesn't matter who they are.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@borzou That's an argument they'd make, but I'd add that the ties are more direct, given centuries long movement of Shiite religious scholars between Lebanon and Iran (Syria and Iraq, too, of course, adding pilgrimages of regular folks, too.)

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@Honest_Abe_1864 @litcapital Exactly, just like the commie St Patrick's Day parade that runs down Fifth Avenue every year.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@ReemRifai_ That Iran maintains its interests and supports its clients makes sense. You ignore that Iranian-supported militias rose in counties attacked and fractured by Israel or US. Iran interests aside, these defended not only Shia communities, but their countries, unlike US forces there.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@avygal Where did they go? Mixed story:
Some conversions to Islam, some migration to more economically dynamic parts of the region, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, the Maghreb, Spain... Some (speaking of Mizrahis) went to Europe, especially Mediterranean ports for business.

[Jamal A. Rayyis @PalateSavvy]

@avygal Despite myths, the majority of Jews in Palestine weren't expelled by Rome 2000 years ago, Leaders were. A
vibrant Jewish population remained well into the Islamic era, w/no evidence that Jews were expelled from Palestine then, either.