When I hear anything that smacks of racial or religious purity I cringe, because hiding behind the thin layer of masked language are the ideas of exclusion and discrimination, hate and genocide.
And the Jewish people have been recipients of this treatment for hundreds of years. Egyptians, Romans, Crusades, Inquisitions, Nazis - and those are just well known instances - tons of persecution.
And some of us have engendered acceptance and co-existence. But the recent movement in Israel to be a Jewish only state, is a movement of exclusion, discrimination and hate.
“Israel is not a state of all its citizens,” he [Netanyahu] wrote a few weeks before the election. “Israel is the nation state of the Jewish people — and only it.”
What makes this different than 1930s-40s Germany then? What makes this different than Rwanda, Darfur, Ireland?
This is a mistake. And it's a mistake for US Government to support it. And it's a mistake in the playbook for all Jewish persons - understand that we sit in the role of persecutor now. And that cannot be the case. We of any, should be working for the eradication of hate, not the cultivation of it - even in the face of extremist adversity - should be pushing for peace.
Should israel be strong - yes. But they need to carry that with restraint. Mr. Netanyahu is not. He is figuratively and literally killing innocents along with terrorists. He is persecuting Israeli citizens because of their genetics and beliefs.
How do we achieve restraint?
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/18/opinion/benjamin-netanyahu-israel.html
Thursday, April 18, 2019
Friday, April 12, 2019
The element of suprise
I personally think the Democrats are blowing it in regards to the presidential race.
Where's the element of surprise?
1. Trump has two years to evaluate, research and talk down all of his competition
2. If the fight gets ugly within the party, it will cause disenfranchisement and apathy.
3. 20 candidates who eventually need to push their voters to one? Are they relying on the "better than Trump" argument to get people out to the polls (see Apathy above).
4. By the time we do get to a single candidate, pocketbooks will be worn down, not to mention voters. I'm already tired of political ads and we've two years to go.
Behind the scenes, party leadership needs to be pushing to run polite campaigns and figure out a strategy to help things pull together faster. By that I do not mean they need to pick the candidate. I mean they need to negotiate with potentials on ways to understand their chances early and be able to throw support to someone who represents the voters in the party more holistically than others. They also need to eliminate the pretenders and investigate themselves to ensure there are no skeleton issues with the candidates that do move forward.
All this may be going on - but so far, it feels more disorganized than previous disorganized elections. Everyone was in way too early and there are too many of them. I think this is because they think this polarization will buy them the election - simple math - more Dems in the country and a horrible Republican candidate. Again, I think they are miscalculating the potential for voter apathy. Having canvassed voters in the past, there are a contingent who would not be sure they could leave their homes if their downstairs was on fire. Numbers are great, but they have to get to the polls.
Democratic leaders (are there any?) need to get former party leaders to step up and start rallying folks now. They need to help disseminate information about all of the candidates - side by side comparisons on real issues. They need to make sure Dems understand it is their choice and they need to get them to pick early and politely work toward consensus, so that goodwill and money are not spent on the internal haggle, leaving nothing on the table for the real fight.
Otherwise, the other guy, the man who is destroying the country, is going to win without having to do anything else.
Where's the element of surprise?
1. Trump has two years to evaluate, research and talk down all of his competition
2. If the fight gets ugly within the party, it will cause disenfranchisement and apathy.
3. 20 candidates who eventually need to push their voters to one? Are they relying on the "better than Trump" argument to get people out to the polls (see Apathy above).
4. By the time we do get to a single candidate, pocketbooks will be worn down, not to mention voters. I'm already tired of political ads and we've two years to go.
Behind the scenes, party leadership needs to be pushing to run polite campaigns and figure out a strategy to help things pull together faster. By that I do not mean they need to pick the candidate. I mean they need to negotiate with potentials on ways to understand their chances early and be able to throw support to someone who represents the voters in the party more holistically than others. They also need to eliminate the pretenders and investigate themselves to ensure there are no skeleton issues with the candidates that do move forward.
All this may be going on - but so far, it feels more disorganized than previous disorganized elections. Everyone was in way too early and there are too many of them. I think this is because they think this polarization will buy them the election - simple math - more Dems in the country and a horrible Republican candidate. Again, I think they are miscalculating the potential for voter apathy. Having canvassed voters in the past, there are a contingent who would not be sure they could leave their homes if their downstairs was on fire. Numbers are great, but they have to get to the polls.
Democratic leaders (are there any?) need to get former party leaders to step up and start rallying folks now. They need to help disseminate information about all of the candidates - side by side comparisons on real issues. They need to make sure Dems understand it is their choice and they need to get them to pick early and politely work toward consensus, so that goodwill and money are not spent on the internal haggle, leaving nothing on the table for the real fight.
Otherwise, the other guy, the man who is destroying the country, is going to win without having to do anything else.
Sunday, April 07, 2019
Anti-Semitic
anti–Semitic /ˌænˌtaɪsəˈmɪtɪk/ adjective
: feeling or showing hatred of Jewish people
Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary
Folks - last night, in front of a conservative Jewish audience took a shot at Ilhan Omar, the congresswoman from Minnesota. He indicated she "doesn't like Israel", with the implication through the speech that not liking the actions of the Israeli government or the political policies of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC - a pro-Israeli expansion lobby) is anti-Semitic. He went on to say that Democrats are harboring anti-Semitism within the party.
This is not true - it's blatantly false. Ilhan Omar is not an Anti-Semite, nor are Democrats.
Yes - Israel has legitimate concerns about the safety of their people. But many of us recognize this is done at the expense of the Palestinian people in the region and that you cannot subjugate and kill your way to peace.
People who are against those policies are not anti-Semitic or anti-Israel (which are two completely different things). They are perhaps anti-violence. They are likely anti-poverty and anti-discrimination.
To twist the racist term of anti-Semitism to meet the political objective of winning conservative Jews to the Republican party is actually racist itself. It's asking conservative Jews to grasp the imagery of a hateful group and apply it to people who have never made or insinuated any such hate.
I'm Jewish by birth. I love my Jewish family and friends. I'm for equality in Israel for all of their people, Jewish and otherwise. I do not agree with many policies of the Israeli state.
Ilhan Omar is a Muslim. She has watch her fellow Muslims subjugated by the Israeli government and she is against those policies too. Her much touted comment "It's all about the Benjamin’s, baby" was a comment on the political money that is funneled into congress to promote the pro-Israel expansion policies by AIPAC - it was not ant-Semitic. But because Omar is Muslim, it's easy to link stereotypes and push an image of hatred, rather than allow people to understand her legitimate concerns.
We have to see through the ploy.
Ultimately the President and AIPAC threaten the Jewish people, because they are linking Jewishness with racist activity - the subjugation of others for racial and religious purity. If we go back in history and look at when this happened before to Jews - to the Spanish inquisition, to the Holocaust - and others, like Apartheid in South Africa - we see that the Israeli government is pushing for racial inequality.
That's not anti-Semitic. That's anti-racist. That's anti-poverty, anti-subjugation, anti-war.
The presidents actions have been about using his endorsement to help leaders in Israel that will help get him re-elected. Just remember, he is using bigotry to win. He's counting on a part of the Jewish population to racially hate in order to win. And if we do that, we have truly lost our way. We, of all peoples, should be sensitive to racial inequality. To the cause of peoples who are treated wrong for who they are, for where they are. We need to reach out with love. With caring. With inclusive policy.
It is the only way to wipe out hundreds of years of violence in the region. You cannot kill your way to peace. You must be peaceful in order to have peace. You must work, you must compromise, you must be strong against forces on both sides that will want to continue the hate - there's political profit in hate. But it's the people on both sides that die. The only way to get there is to stop. That's not anti-Semitic. It's a hope for all the peoples of the region, regardless of religion or race.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/us/politics/aipac-congress-democrats.html
: feeling or showing hatred of Jewish people
Merriam-Webster Learners Dictionary
Folks - last night, in front of a conservative Jewish audience took a shot at Ilhan Omar, the congresswoman from Minnesota. He indicated she "doesn't like Israel", with the implication through the speech that not liking the actions of the Israeli government or the political policies of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC - a pro-Israeli expansion lobby) is anti-Semitic. He went on to say that Democrats are harboring anti-Semitism within the party.
This is not true - it's blatantly false. Ilhan Omar is not an Anti-Semite, nor are Democrats.
Yes - Israel has legitimate concerns about the safety of their people. But many of us recognize this is done at the expense of the Palestinian people in the region and that you cannot subjugate and kill your way to peace.
People who are against those policies are not anti-Semitic or anti-Israel (which are two completely different things). They are perhaps anti-violence. They are likely anti-poverty and anti-discrimination.
To twist the racist term of anti-Semitism to meet the political objective of winning conservative Jews to the Republican party is actually racist itself. It's asking conservative Jews to grasp the imagery of a hateful group and apply it to people who have never made or insinuated any such hate.
I'm Jewish by birth. I love my Jewish family and friends. I'm for equality in Israel for all of their people, Jewish and otherwise. I do not agree with many policies of the Israeli state.
Ilhan Omar is a Muslim. She has watch her fellow Muslims subjugated by the Israeli government and she is against those policies too. Her much touted comment "It's all about the Benjamin’s, baby" was a comment on the political money that is funneled into congress to promote the pro-Israel expansion policies by AIPAC - it was not ant-Semitic. But because Omar is Muslim, it's easy to link stereotypes and push an image of hatred, rather than allow people to understand her legitimate concerns.
We have to see through the ploy.
Ultimately the President and AIPAC threaten the Jewish people, because they are linking Jewishness with racist activity - the subjugation of others for racial and religious purity. If we go back in history and look at when this happened before to Jews - to the Spanish inquisition, to the Holocaust - and others, like Apartheid in South Africa - we see that the Israeli government is pushing for racial inequality.
That's not anti-Semitic. That's anti-racist. That's anti-poverty, anti-subjugation, anti-war.
The presidents actions have been about using his endorsement to help leaders in Israel that will help get him re-elected. Just remember, he is using bigotry to win. He's counting on a part of the Jewish population to racially hate in order to win. And if we do that, we have truly lost our way. We, of all peoples, should be sensitive to racial inequality. To the cause of peoples who are treated wrong for who they are, for where they are. We need to reach out with love. With caring. With inclusive policy.
It is the only way to wipe out hundreds of years of violence in the region. You cannot kill your way to peace. You must be peaceful in order to have peace. You must work, you must compromise, you must be strong against forces on both sides that will want to continue the hate - there's political profit in hate. But it's the people on both sides that die. The only way to get there is to stop. That's not anti-Semitic. It's a hope for all the peoples of the region, regardless of religion or race.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/04/us/politics/aipac-congress-democrats.html
Friday, April 05, 2019
Reality imposes itself on fantasy
Reality imposes itself on any lie, fantasy or expedient plan eventually. It happens over and over again.
We danced around the idea that Tobacco is bad for you. "The science isn't conclusive" was argued by tobacco and it's powerful allies in congress. And guess what. We got lung cancer anyway, even though those who gained got off. Now, everyone knows.
We're almost at the point where Global Warming is universally understood and yet we still have powerful profit motive driving governmental policy to our own detriment.
We know that gun violence can be reduced by reducing the number and types of available guns and ammunition. The statistics are sound, yet a powerful profit motive coupled with a liberal (yes liberal) interpretation of the constitution driving our government policy to our own detriment.
We know that privilege exists and yet we hesitate to level the playing field for poor, for minorities, for women, for people of alternate gender and sexualtiy. We know that unwanted pregnancy and STD transmission can be reduced by providing birth control and education, we know that legalized abortion saves lives - all proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Reality imposing itself on our fantasy. Maybe, it's time for us to grow up. To understand reality and work to shape outcomes rather than listening to the fairytale and hoping it's true.
We do this for ourselves, in ways that really matter. Many other countries have. We can too.
That is the idea behind the Green New Deal - to address some of these realities rather than ignoring them and hoping the fantasies and lies are true.
It doesn't have the answers, it paves the way for the answers. If you listen closely, rather than shouting you can hear that.
Please step back and know in your heart of hearts that we need to solve climate, poverty, healthcare, employment in the face of automation - and be part of the solution, not just a part of the problem. Vote for people with vision. Read. Write your representatives. Volunteer.
We danced around the idea that Tobacco is bad for you. "The science isn't conclusive" was argued by tobacco and it's powerful allies in congress. And guess what. We got lung cancer anyway, even though those who gained got off. Now, everyone knows.
We're almost at the point where Global Warming is universally understood and yet we still have powerful profit motive driving governmental policy to our own detriment.
We know that gun violence can be reduced by reducing the number and types of available guns and ammunition. The statistics are sound, yet a powerful profit motive coupled with a liberal (yes liberal) interpretation of the constitution driving our government policy to our own detriment.
We know that privilege exists and yet we hesitate to level the playing field for poor, for minorities, for women, for people of alternate gender and sexualtiy. We know that unwanted pregnancy and STD transmission can be reduced by providing birth control and education, we know that legalized abortion saves lives - all proven beyond a shadow of a doubt.
Reality imposing itself on our fantasy. Maybe, it's time for us to grow up. To understand reality and work to shape outcomes rather than listening to the fairytale and hoping it's true.
We do this for ourselves, in ways that really matter. Many other countries have. We can too.
That is the idea behind the Green New Deal - to address some of these realities rather than ignoring them and hoping the fantasies and lies are true.
It doesn't have the answers, it paves the way for the answers. If you listen closely, rather than shouting you can hear that.
Please step back and know in your heart of hearts that we need to solve climate, poverty, healthcare, employment in the face of automation - and be part of the solution, not just a part of the problem. Vote for people with vision. Read. Write your representatives. Volunteer.
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