What a wonderfully inspirational and sustaining concept for all of us on Team Democracy: Stagger our breathing, take a breath while others carry the note. Thank you, Lisa Herrick of 31st Street Swing Left, and Robert and Jill for your forum!
Robert, I agree with your conclusion: "Biden will lose support among some groups no matter what he does regarding Israel’s war on Hamas. Given that truth, he should do what he believes is right . . . and accept the political consequences." What I don't understand is why some people think that this is a static situation. It's anything but. Was it wrong or unwise for Biden and Blinken to support a long time ally, Israel, after they were viciously attacked by Hamas? Only a militant supporter of Hamas would be expected to think that. But after the killing of over 13,000 and the wounding of over 35,000 Palestinians, many of them children, and no clear assessment of how many Hamas leaders have been killed, if any, it's now time for Biden and Blinken to reassess the U.S. position. We shouldn't support Israel in making sitting ducks of the very Palestinians they advised to go to South Gaza to escape their attacks in the North. To do so would be unconscionable. Israel's plan to attack Southern Gaza is morally reprehensible. Having said that, war is hell. It's horrific. But we should understand, it is also fluid.
A friend of mine is a volunteer firefighter and he uses the firefighters as a small survey about stuff and he told me they are so disconnected from the Israeli/Hamas conflict it’s almost like it’s doesn’t exist.
Hi! In my relational canvass work, I find that many people are hyper-local in the way they think. Considerations of a national or global scale are just overwhelming or out of their capacity to grasp. We just focus on getting those folks to vote well locally and figure they are part of the bottom up repair. We can build our firewall against the national insanity by winning local minds and hearts. Of course, that doesn’t change the amazement at how seemingly willful Americans can be to the plights of others or even the planet!
Oh, David. I love your posts. Loved this one. Here is a factoid that might entertain you. My wife (girl of my dreams) has not come down with Covid - despite her constant contact with me. She has taken Vitamin D for years. Guess what I am going to pop in my mouth tonight?
And considering the fact that I hide from the sun (skin cancer, etc.) your hypothesis makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
That is shocking to me. However, it's similar to the number of non-voters who are surprised by the phone calls they receive from groups such as Swing Left, etc. In those calls they are told what is going on in the country that they may be completely ignorant about, and then they decide to vote. Or they receive a postcard explaining the importance of voting against abortion bans. That is what happened in November, and why there was no Red Wave. We just have to keep at it!
This is an important point. How and where do people get their information? This piece in the NY Times, Welcome to Our New ‘Bespoke Realities’, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/opinion/political-reality-algorithms.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ck0.ALCT.qdF9lwAtBgMS&smid=url-share, discusses that unlike in the past, people assemble their own sources of information. I know my children's generation doesn't read the Times or the Post, and follow other sources on YouTube or Instagram, assembling their own views of reality. Fortunately, at least, the sources they've assembled want to keep democracy, free speech, and reproductive freedom.
My daughter is one of those who follows sources other than mainstream media, thankfully. She is in her 40s and would prefer a more Progressive candidate than Biden. But in a world where there's a choice between Biden and Trump, she is a Democrat through and through.
My soul is full of hope. But I am also a realist. "The worst" is possible. But I am going to work my tail off so that it doesn't happen. We've done it before, more than once. Let's do it again!
Thank you Pat; such a clear and compassionate description of the complex dilemma...and the reminder that war is hell...horrific....and fluid. I think it takes a measure of maturity to allow that fluidity. Rigidity offers a false sense of security, "I'm right; you're wrong;" that is encouraged by the extremes of both ends of the political spectrum.
Track Trump's history of Islamophobia and see what the next Republican Muslim ban would look like with this interactive infographic (in both English and Arabic).
It's interesting to note that Bruni isn't the only one in the MSM who suddenly realizes what fascism means. We shall see.
As for Robert Kagan, he's one of the leading NeoCon dumbbells - one of those who was just *certain* the Iraqis would meet us with flowers in 2003. He was also wrong regarding his predictions of how Ukraine would go in 2012.
I was coming here to say exactly this about Kagan. His Neo-con credentials disqualify him from the sweeping generalizations of his conclusions. That said, I am hearing from far too many people, many of whom I know personally, that they can no longer support Biden over his decisions in the war in Israel. Unlike Kagan, though, I think that's an opportunity to shift the focus of this election from a contest between two fairly unpopular men to one of fascism versus democracy. It has always been that, but our job is to convince others. Is that fair to Joe Biden and his very successful policies? No, it is not, but that’s where we are.
I was really disappointed in Frank Bruni's piece two weeks ago. In fact, I read only the title, and skipped the article. He did a similar thing in the 2020 election. It was an Opinion piece in the Sunday NY Times! Even though I typically like him, I'm turned off at the moment!
" It is Trump or democracy, Biden or fascism. The choice is that simple. And that stark." Trump has been announcing his plans for creating a fascist government. Ignoring those plans resemble Israel ignoring Hamas's identified by intelligence staff for the attack that occurred on October 7.
We need to take seriously the people who intend to destroy us. Court rulings and convictions against Trump are part of what is needed. Resources committed to defeating his campaign for the presidency and the campaigns of every Republican politician who supports him. Len Lubinsky. Len's Political Notes https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Well-meaning people keep making the mistake of confusing Hamas for rational actors. They are not. They have one goal: drive the Jews out of Israel. And any ceasefire or humanitarian pause will be seen as a chance to re-arm. A long-term cease fire will be a chance to build more tunnels and collect more rockets. Not to feed and house their people. Again, they are not rational actors.
It should not need repeating but many on the Left seem to have forgotten what "Never Again" means and why the State of Israel is so important to Jews. So let me remind you:
During World War 2, no country would take in the Jews of Europe. Not the US, not the UK, not France. No one. The Brits would not even let them into Palestine.
And so the Germans and their allies were able to kill six million Jews. Because those Jews had nowhere to go. (Hitler's initial preference was to drive them out rather than kill them.)
"Never Again" means we will never again be without a state, never again without a homeland that will take us in when the world turns against us (as it always does.)
That means Israel took in almost 1 million Jews who were expelled from Arab countries in the late 1940s/early 1950s. (the equivalent of the US taking in around 150 million people today.). And that 300,000 Shoah survivors from the Displaced Persons camps arrived in the middle of the War of Independence when four Arab armies were attacking the country.
That means Israel airlifted 50,000 Yemeni Jews in 1949 during Operation Magic Carpet
And airlifted around 50,000 Ethiopian Jews--14K in just one 36 hour period--during Operations Solomon, Joshua and Moses in 1984-85.
That means Israel took in over 1.5 million Soviet Jews in the 1990s-- again, to put that in US terms, the equivalent of around 100 million people.
And it's why every American Jew I know has made the calculation in the past month as to what relocating to Israel would look like if the rampant Jew Hatred we see from the so-called Progressive Left and the Extreme Right becomes more widespread and the situation in the US becomes untenable.
I'll leave you with this video from this week's City Council meeting in Oakland, where speaker after speaker spewed Jew Hate and the notion that Israel had invented the entire Octber 7th massacre was viewed as a rational interpretation of events: https://x.com/yashar/status/1729630529199432095?s=20\
I realized several years ago that my upbringing in NY, OH and IL among Holocaust survivors, with their children my peers and friends, gave me a totally different perspective from my neighbors and co-workers today on the west coast. Those who do not know history tend to repeat it. One of the things I value so much in Biden and Blinken is their heightened awareness of the big picture. Thank you for providing these details, Alan.
Have you ever read Constantine's Sword? It is written by a former priest. He talks about the history of Anti-Semitism throughout the ages. Most of it I knew. The difficult part was reading everything I knew condensed into a book. He even goes into they "whys" of how come Catholics and now Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday. As you probably know they originally celebrated the Sabbath as Jesus did from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
Thank you for mentioning this book Ed. I was raised Catholic although I would consider myself a lapsed Catholic. The church is just way too corrupt and it’s history of genocidal activities appalls me. I’d be very interested in reading this book.
It's written by James Carroll. I actually loaned it to a client 6 or 7 years ago. In a bit of synchronicity I'll be meeting with him in an hour or so.
Unfortunately genocide is not limited to just one group. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem met with Hitler during WWII. The Muslims, or Arabs, or Palestinians, are not as innocent as they make themselves out to be ( my personal opinion). The Muslims or Arabs control such a vast swath of the Middle East because they conquered it through violent means.
And some Jews can be not so nice too, as well as Buddhists, Hindus, Native Americans, the list goes on ad infinitum.
We need to find positivity...it's always a choice. If you haven't read Viktor Frankl you should.
No race or religion is completely innocent; humans have violent histories. I have read "Man's Search for Meaning," and I've been planning to read it again, since it's been a long time since I picked up the book. Thanks for this other book recommendation. I can get any book available in CO through the interlibrary loan system, since my small town has a limited selection of books. I will try to track it down today. Enjoy your afternoon! We are getting a nice steady snowfall here.
I strongly endorse your Comment, but question your belief about “Biden and Blinken[‘s] heightened awareness of the big picture.” That awareness, on Blinken’s part, seems to be verging toward gratuitously lecturing Israel about proper conduct of the war (“U.S. Urges Israel to Protect Civilians When War Restarts” NYT print edition, 12/1/2023, p.A9).
Such lecturing, especially *before* Israel had resumed military operations, creates or reinforces an image of Israel as a bloodthirsty warmonger. That may, perhaps, protect Biden’s domestic political posterior, but it plays into Hamas supporters’ and antisemites’ propaganda.
Count me among those who are horrified by the suffering and death in Gaza. But here is the harsh awful truth. Palestinians in Gaza invited this.
When Hitler made war on the Allies, when he tortured and killed millions of people, he was enabled by the German people. The German people suffered accordingly.
When Japan attacked the US and Japan committed atrocities that are so awful, I won't even put them into print, the Japanese people enabled those acts. The Japanese people suffered accordingly.
Yes, the children of Gaza are innocent victims. But their parents have supported Hamas - a regime that is dedicated to the murder and elimination of an entire nation. That can't stand.
War is Hell. And that Hell was unleashed by Hamas - a psychopathic murderous organization. Could Israel have treated Palestinians differently since the 1940s. Absolutely. But Hamas is not the answer. Hamas is the core of the current problem. Just like the Nazis, just like the Japanese military of WWII.
If Gazans want to make a difference, to find peace, they will rebel against their vicious murderous enslavers - who hide behind women and children - who use their own people as shields. Cowards.
I find it astounding that the events of October 7th don't remain foremost in our minds. The torture, the rapes, the slaughter, the kidnapping of children and the elderly. That's not war. That's savage brutality. That is an effort at genocide.
I don't know how we can expect Hamas to be eliminated without their enablers suffering as well. I do hope that some new battle technique can be found to eradicate Hamas that minimizes collateral casualties. But Hamas is a virulent cancer. It must be excised.
“ The [German/Japanese] people suffered accordingly.” –
The Germans and Japanese [and Russians] suffered because the only way for the Allies to defeat their military machines, given the technologies of the time, was to destroy their economies as well as their military troops. It became known as Total War.
That is not what Israel appears to intend. Israel intends to destroy *Hamas*. Unfortunately, Hamas intentionally and cynically *imbedded* their military assets *within the Gazan civilian population.* That has left Israel (despite Secretary Blinken’s finger-wagging bromides) no choice other than to destroy Hamas’s military even though it simultaneously harms many civilians.
To mitigate that situation, Israel urged civilians to relocate to the south of Gaza, to be out of the way of the primary military attack, and Israel paused its attacks to allow time for the migration. Has any other nation ever done such a thing? Only the Israeli “warmongers” have, to the best of my knowledge.
The evidence continues to grow that Hamas started this terrorism because it was afraid of being marginalized. Prior to October 7th, the region was relatively peaceful. Israel was making progress toward recognition with its neighbors, and Hamas did not have a seat at the table. They were governing a failed, destitute, territory with no plan for improving the lives of its citizens. (While its leaders, by the way, lived in luxury in Qatar.) What they did have was a group of fanatics dedicated to Israel's destruction. So that was the weapon they unleashed on unsuspecting, unarmed, civilians. Hamas must be destroyed so it can never again present a threat to Israel.
Actually, I may not want to see it. It probably rehashes all of the hate being expressed by so many people.
I made a comment on this newsletter today that I spoke at County Commissioners' meeting yesterday. They are quite supportive of the Jewish community in Missoula. It's about Menorah placement. Rotunda or on the lawn. They are concerned about perception and vandalism. Their arguments are fair. Afterwards we were all talking about Montana stuff. I harvested an "alien deer." One of the commissioners wanted me to show my picture before he showed me his. I said that we need to see your picture first because no one has ever seen a rack like the one on my buck. Everyone was amazed. I told them I'm naming him "Buck Rogers." This is what we do in Montana...we may argue but we find ways to get along.
Time magazine seems to say it was Israel that restarted bombing (& plans to target So Gaza next!)
“ Israeli fighter jets hit targets in the Gaza Strip minutes after a weeklong truce expired on Friday, as the war with Hamas resumed in full force. Black smoke billowed from the besieged territory, and Israel dropped leaflets over parts of southern Gaza urging people to leave their homes, suggesting it was preparing to widen its offensive.
In Israel, sirens warning of incoming rockets blared at several communal farms near Gaza, a sign that militants also restarted attacks, but there were no reports of hits. The renewed hostilities heightened concerns for Palestinians in the tiny coastal enclave as well as about 140 hostages who remain there, after more than 100 were freed during the truce“
Time magazine hasn’t been a real news source for years. Nor does that article seem to say what you are implying. No time frames are given as to what happened first.
Thanks for your comments on Kagan's article, I got about halfway through and gave up but thought I might have been missing a point.
Do we need James Carville to come back and restate the issue as "It’s fascism, stupid" so that everyone understands. Apparently Trump’s own words aren't clear enough. Glad to see that Bruni is teachable though. Maybe some of his NYT colleagues will follow along.
Thank you again (and again) Robert The effort you put in to help us keep our sanity and remain effective is an appreciated gift to all of us. I read Jessica regularly. "Don't know what to do? Here's what you CAN do, and maybe this or this." She is great It is hard to remain focussed.
Thank you for commenting on Robert Kagan's piece in the WAPO. I just wrote this in the comments section of the piece (13K+ comments!) and also sent it as a "letter to the editor", something I have started to do thanks to the suggestions that you and your readers have made. "This piece is absolute drivel and Robert Kagan is just a fear mongerer. He is looking at the odds of a Trump dictatorship in a vacuum, having not considered the results of every election since 2016, which have repudiated Trump/MAGA politics. He is ignoring the growing backlash against incompetent representatives like Lauren Boebart and MTG and the very successful grass roots efforts to GOTV for 2024 - just as they did in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Democrats and the Biden Administration are not the feckless bunch he has portrayed them to be. Kagan has developed the parting of the Red Sea theory of a Trump march to the White House. Wrong. MAGA Republicans are a vocal minority. How many of them showed up to rally in Florida when Trump went to court for his indictment? Very few. MAGA Republicans are learning that following Trump's direction leads straight to a jail sentence. Please, WAPO, give us some insightful opinion pieces backed with thoughtful analysis of the full picture of what is happening as we head toward the 2024 elections. This is pure fantasy."
I highly recommend that, when talking to friends, family, or larger groups, we make this an election not just about democracy but about FREEDOM. Celinda Lake says that is the word that motivates Americans the most. Especially when you talk about having freedoms “taken away.” Lake pointed out in one of her presentations that humans are hardwired to not want things taken away from them. So if we frame it as “Donald Trump wants to take away your freedoms” that is something most Americans will react to strongly and viscerally. “Democracy” as a word is more abstract. Freedom to vote, freedom to love who you want, freedom to start a family when or if you want, freedom to be safe from gun violence, freedom to read what you want, these are things everyone understands, and no one wants to lose.
Thank you, Jessica. What you write here is especially important because the Republicans, and particularly the far right “freedom“ caucus, have taken that word and tried to make it their own. They are selling us fascism, while calling it freedom. We need to reclaim that word. In one of Biden‘s first campaign ads after he announced he was running again, he used the word Freedom over and over again to define what his administration is about.
Jessica, Regrettably, Republicans, historically, have become quite adept at conflating the terms “freedom” and “deregulation,” thereby convincing a large swath of the country that regulations aimed at moderating excesses that block even a modicum of distributive, or perhaps redistributive, justice are an affront to individual freedom. Accordingly, I have pressed for replacing the term “regulations” with “protections” thus, associating freedoms with protections, a connection that I believe clarifies the meaning of freedom in each of your examples.
As someone who travels in several circles largely dominated by people who say they can’t vote for Biden in 24, I’ve never had a more potent rejoinder than “A vote is a chess move, not a valentine” (Rebecca Solnit). Thank you Robert for a most effective rhetorical tool that has changed more minds than any other device I’ve enlisted.
Stephen, I value the fact that I travel among a broad range of people who represent a broad range of views and investments of time and energy. My point was to amplify my gratitude for a rejoinder, when warranted, that more so than any other has been effective in reforming people’s beliefs and attitudes.
I agree with Robert completely. Unless a miracle candidate appears, if we don’t all vote for Biden, we are done. And I ask people to imagine what our daily lives as citizens in a dictatorship might look like. Especially we Liberals or lead organizers. Being stalked, jailed, disappearing without word? Biden is the only present way out and he is actually a strong but I guess just too humble and unassuming, boring person to cut through our entertainment drenched minds. Maybe he could pick up a chainsaw and wield it at his next speech? I hear that has worked elsewhere.
Robert..I signed up for your burnout webinar but care for my ancient mom precluded watching. Is it available on recording? Is there a link? I would love to experience it.
I’m betting on all of. In my county we’ve worked endlessly for 8 years and our stellar leaders are all exhausted. But no one is bailing for 2024. I know we are not even close to alone out there. And we’re smart and steadfast and we are the grownups all over this country who will rein in the insanity amongst our fellow voters. I know I’m not alone.
Off-topic: I've been advising readers to let editors know if their editorial policy is off-kilter. It's worth the effort, because sometimes the message gets through. As evidence, I offer this, the letters column in NYT:
I suggest you read all of the letters (they are terrific), but this particular comment is directed to one appearing under the heading, "Biden's meeting with Muslim Americans." You may notice that the writer shares his name with me, but the important point is that sometimes editors do pay attention. Actually, I hope that this one may be a signal that the prevailing winds in editorial suites are changing.
Robert, thank you for the reminder to sustain ourselves (analogous to putting on one's oxygen mask first then checking on the rest of one's family) and for your consistent and constant encouragement and plain speaking about what's happening and what we can do about it. You and Jill are greatly appreciated!
Talk about distorted media reporting on Joe Biden's policies. I just read today's "Daily Beast", normally a good source on news beyond the headlines, and was shocked by an item on a Biden action that completely misrepresented what the administration is trying to do. In October, Biden proposed the elimination of "junk fees". These are charges that show up unexpectedly on everything from bank statements to hotel bills to concert tickets. The vast majority of consumers are in favor of getting rid of these types of charges, or at the very least their full disclosure at the time of transaction. The "Daily Beast" has interpreted this proposal as a direct political attack by Biden on Donald Trump and his hotel business. The headline, totally misleading, reads "Joe Biden Wants to Abolish the Fees Trump Charges at His Resorts". The author calls the policy an "explicit election attack". That is just not true. Once again, the media misinterprets a popular Biden proposal in the least favorable light.
I found a single article at the Daily Beast website having to do with Biden's efforts to get rid of or get explicit fees laid out in advance. The headline is "Republicans Really Want You to Keep Paying Junk Fees". Hotel "resort fees" are highlighted as example of the hated junk fees but I find nothing in the article as political or regarding an "explicit election attack".
I have sent Jessica Craven’s quote on “ Hope” to many of my friends because it is so appropriate. We cannot lose hope because we are making headway everyday. The endless appeals and attack behavior and gag order violations are wearing thin with Americans and I think they are losing their appeal and effect. If you want a great dose of “ hope” watch the Newsom /DeSantis debate last night. Newsom has become the surrogate for Biden. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/30/politics/desantis-newsom-debate-fox-hannity/index.html
What a wonderfully inspirational and sustaining concept for all of us on Team Democracy: Stagger our breathing, take a breath while others carry the note. Thank you, Lisa Herrick of 31st Street Swing Left, and Robert and Jill for your forum!
Robert, I agree with your conclusion: "Biden will lose support among some groups no matter what he does regarding Israel’s war on Hamas. Given that truth, he should do what he believes is right . . . and accept the political consequences." What I don't understand is why some people think that this is a static situation. It's anything but. Was it wrong or unwise for Biden and Blinken to support a long time ally, Israel, after they were viciously attacked by Hamas? Only a militant supporter of Hamas would be expected to think that. But after the killing of over 13,000 and the wounding of over 35,000 Palestinians, many of them children, and no clear assessment of how many Hamas leaders have been killed, if any, it's now time for Biden and Blinken to reassess the U.S. position. We shouldn't support Israel in making sitting ducks of the very Palestinians they advised to go to South Gaza to escape their attacks in the North. To do so would be unconscionable. Israel's plan to attack Southern Gaza is morally reprehensible. Having said that, war is hell. It's horrific. But we should understand, it is also fluid.
Very good point: " What I don't understand is why some people think that this is a static situation"
That makes two of us, Robert.
A friend of mine is a volunteer firefighter and he uses the firefighters as a small survey about stuff and he told me they are so disconnected from the Israeli/Hamas conflict it’s almost like it’s doesn’t exist.
Hi! In my relational canvass work, I find that many people are hyper-local in the way they think. Considerations of a national or global scale are just overwhelming or out of their capacity to grasp. We just focus on getting those folks to vote well locally and figure they are part of the bottom up repair. We can build our firewall against the national insanity by winning local minds and hearts. Of course, that doesn’t change the amazement at how seemingly willful Americans can be to the plights of others or even the planet!
Exactly. The more we can focus on things like “the Infrastructure Bill did this for your county…” the better.
Plus we are a year out. Do you remember what you were upset about in December 2022? I don’t
I remember that my wife and I got Covid for Christmas in 2022! And now I have it again. Oy. Me, the guy who wears a mask at the super market.
Everything IS fluid and we should expect a surprise every day.
Yikes! Sorry to hear that Bill. Hope it is mild and you are well again soon.
Oh, David. I love your posts. Loved this one. Here is a factoid that might entertain you. My wife (girl of my dreams) has not come down with Covid - despite her constant contact with me. She has taken Vitamin D for years. Guess what I am going to pop in my mouth tonight?
And considering the fact that I hide from the sun (skin cancer, etc.) your hypothesis makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
Nope and you’re right it’s too far out but we need to plant the seeds.
Well stated.
That is shocking to me. However, it's similar to the number of non-voters who are surprised by the phone calls they receive from groups such as Swing Left, etc. In those calls they are told what is going on in the country that they may be completely ignorant about, and then they decide to vote. Or they receive a postcard explaining the importance of voting against abortion bans. That is what happened in November, and why there was no Red Wave. We just have to keep at it!
This is an important point. How and where do people get their information? This piece in the NY Times, Welcome to Our New ‘Bespoke Realities’, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/opinion/political-reality-algorithms.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ck0.ALCT.qdF9lwAtBgMS&smid=url-share, discusses that unlike in the past, people assemble their own sources of information. I know my children's generation doesn't read the Times or the Post, and follow other sources on YouTube or Instagram, assembling their own views of reality. Fortunately, at least, the sources they've assembled want to keep democracy, free speech, and reproductive freedom.
My daughter is one of those who follows sources other than mainstream media, thankfully. She is in her 40s and would prefer a more Progressive candidate than Biden. But in a world where there's a choice between Biden and Trump, she is a Democrat through and through.
Hope for the best, plan for the worst!
“Hope” is the thing with feathers -
That perches in the soul -
And sings the tune without the words -
And never stops - at all -
(Emily Dickinson)
My soul is full of hope. But I am also a realist. "The worst" is possible. But I am going to work my tail off so that it doesn't happen. We've done it before, more than once. Let's do it again!
Exactly.
Thank you Pat; such a clear and compassionate description of the complex dilemma...and the reminder that war is hell...horrific....and fluid. I think it takes a measure of maturity to allow that fluidity. Rigidity offers a false sense of security, "I'm right; you're wrong;" that is encouraged by the extremes of both ends of the political spectrum.
Thank you, Terry. Very good point.
Track Trump's history of Islamophobia and see what the next Republican Muslim ban would look like with this interactive infographic (in both English and Arabic).
https://thedemlabs.org/2023/12/02/republican-muslim-ban-%d8%ad%d8%b8%d8%b1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85%d8%b3%d9%84%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%ac%d9%85%d9%87%d9%88%d8%b1%d9%8a%d9%8a%d9%86/
Deepak, thanks for this reference. It's an important reminder of what we're up against with Trump and why we need to defeat him again!
It's interesting to note that Bruni isn't the only one in the MSM who suddenly realizes what fascism means. We shall see.
As for Robert Kagan, he's one of the leading NeoCon dumbbells - one of those who was just *certain* the Iraqis would meet us with flowers in 2003. He was also wrong regarding his predictions of how Ukraine would go in 2012.
I was coming here to say exactly this about Kagan. His Neo-con credentials disqualify him from the sweeping generalizations of his conclusions. That said, I am hearing from far too many people, many of whom I know personally, that they can no longer support Biden over his decisions in the war in Israel. Unlike Kagan, though, I think that's an opportunity to shift the focus of this election from a contest between two fairly unpopular men to one of fascism versus democracy. It has always been that, but our job is to convince others. Is that fair to Joe Biden and his very successful policies? No, it is not, but that’s where we are.
The old timers know only good Israelis & terrorist Palestinians.
Kissinger’s passing has highlighted the type of policies that used to be mainstream & secret. The world is changing hopefully for the good of us all.
Good points. This should be repeated regularly - after a Kagan article for ex. WaPo editors should have a note saying what his previous opinions were
I was really disappointed in Frank Bruni's piece two weeks ago. In fact, I read only the title, and skipped the article. He did a similar thing in the 2020 election. It was an Opinion piece in the Sunday NY Times! Even though I typically like him, I'm turned off at the moment!
Right on TC!
Lack of discernment to be sure.
" It is Trump or democracy, Biden or fascism. The choice is that simple. And that stark." Trump has been announcing his plans for creating a fascist government. Ignoring those plans resemble Israel ignoring Hamas's identified by intelligence staff for the attack that occurred on October 7.
We need to take seriously the people who intend to destroy us. Court rulings and convictions against Trump are part of what is needed. Resources committed to defeating his campaign for the presidency and the campaigns of every Republican politician who supports him. Len Lubinsky. Len's Political Notes https://lenspoliticalnotes.com
Your opening line said it all. It’s a choose we all have to make.
Thanks. That line is from Robert Hubbell's article and I have quoted it. I will accept praise for good quoting judgment.
You nailed. It's that simple.
And in the several hours since you wrote this, Hamas violated the cease fire and sent rockets flying into Israel and the war is on again.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-terror-groups-renew-combat-in-gaza-hamas-violated-the-ceasefire/
[EDITED TO ADD this clip from NBC News this afternoon where SoS Blinken confirms that it was indeed Hamas that broke the truce. https://youtu.be/wYh5ZsYXOD0?si=VJMk-uYBqzULrPht]
Well-meaning people keep making the mistake of confusing Hamas for rational actors. They are not. They have one goal: drive the Jews out of Israel. And any ceasefire or humanitarian pause will be seen as a chance to re-arm. A long-term cease fire will be a chance to build more tunnels and collect more rockets. Not to feed and house their people. Again, they are not rational actors.
It should not need repeating but many on the Left seem to have forgotten what "Never Again" means and why the State of Israel is so important to Jews. So let me remind you:
During World War 2, no country would take in the Jews of Europe. Not the US, not the UK, not France. No one. The Brits would not even let them into Palestine.
And so the Germans and their allies were able to kill six million Jews. Because those Jews had nowhere to go. (Hitler's initial preference was to drive them out rather than kill them.)
"Never Again" means we will never again be without a state, never again without a homeland that will take us in when the world turns against us (as it always does.)
That means Israel took in almost 1 million Jews who were expelled from Arab countries in the late 1940s/early 1950s. (the equivalent of the US taking in around 150 million people today.). And that 300,000 Shoah survivors from the Displaced Persons camps arrived in the middle of the War of Independence when four Arab armies were attacking the country.
That means Israel airlifted 50,000 Yemeni Jews in 1949 during Operation Magic Carpet
And airlifted around 50,000 Ethiopian Jews--14K in just one 36 hour period--during Operations Solomon, Joshua and Moses in 1984-85.
That means Israel took in over 1.5 million Soviet Jews in the 1990s-- again, to put that in US terms, the equivalent of around 100 million people.
And it's why every American Jew I know has made the calculation in the past month as to what relocating to Israel would look like if the rampant Jew Hatred we see from the so-called Progressive Left and the Extreme Right becomes more widespread and the situation in the US becomes untenable.
I'll leave you with this video from this week's City Council meeting in Oakland, where speaker after speaker spewed Jew Hate and the notion that Israel had invented the entire Octber 7th massacre was viewed as a rational interpretation of events: https://x.com/yashar/status/1729630529199432095?s=20\
I realized several years ago that my upbringing in NY, OH and IL among Holocaust survivors, with their children my peers and friends, gave me a totally different perspective from my neighbors and co-workers today on the west coast. Those who do not know history tend to repeat it. One of the things I value so much in Biden and Blinken is their heightened awareness of the big picture. Thank you for providing these details, Alan.
Thank you Karen. The lack of education as to the events before, during and after WW2 is truly saddening.
Have you ever read Constantine's Sword? It is written by a former priest. He talks about the history of Anti-Semitism throughout the ages. Most of it I knew. The difficult part was reading everything I knew condensed into a book. He even goes into they "whys" of how come Catholics and now Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sunday. As you probably know they originally celebrated the Sabbath as Jesus did from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
Thank you for mentioning this book Ed. I was raised Catholic although I would consider myself a lapsed Catholic. The church is just way too corrupt and it’s history of genocidal activities appalls me. I’d be very interested in reading this book.
It's written by James Carroll. I actually loaned it to a client 6 or 7 years ago. In a bit of synchronicity I'll be meeting with him in an hour or so.
Unfortunately genocide is not limited to just one group. The Grand Mufti of Jerusalem met with Hitler during WWII. The Muslims, or Arabs, or Palestinians, are not as innocent as they make themselves out to be ( my personal opinion). The Muslims or Arabs control such a vast swath of the Middle East because they conquered it through violent means.
And some Jews can be not so nice too, as well as Buddhists, Hindus, Native Americans, the list goes on ad infinitum.
We need to find positivity...it's always a choice. If you haven't read Viktor Frankl you should.
No race or religion is completely innocent; humans have violent histories. I have read "Man's Search for Meaning," and I've been planning to read it again, since it's been a long time since I picked up the book. Thanks for this other book recommendation. I can get any book available in CO through the interlibrary loan system, since my small town has a limited selection of books. I will try to track it down today. Enjoy your afternoon! We are getting a nice steady snowfall here.
I haven't, thanks for the suggestion!
Karen,
I strongly endorse your Comment, but question your belief about “Biden and Blinken[‘s] heightened awareness of the big picture.” That awareness, on Blinken’s part, seems to be verging toward gratuitously lecturing Israel about proper conduct of the war (“U.S. Urges Israel to Protect Civilians When War Restarts” NYT print edition, 12/1/2023, p.A9).
Such lecturing, especially *before* Israel had resumed military operations, creates or reinforces an image of Israel as a bloodthirsty warmonger. That may, perhaps, protect Biden’s domestic political posterior, but it plays into Hamas supporters’ and antisemites’ propaganda.
Count me among those who are horrified by the suffering and death in Gaza. But here is the harsh awful truth. Palestinians in Gaza invited this.
When Hitler made war on the Allies, when he tortured and killed millions of people, he was enabled by the German people. The German people suffered accordingly.
When Japan attacked the US and Japan committed atrocities that are so awful, I won't even put them into print, the Japanese people enabled those acts. The Japanese people suffered accordingly.
Yes, the children of Gaza are innocent victims. But their parents have supported Hamas - a regime that is dedicated to the murder and elimination of an entire nation. That can't stand.
War is Hell. And that Hell was unleashed by Hamas - a psychopathic murderous organization. Could Israel have treated Palestinians differently since the 1940s. Absolutely. But Hamas is not the answer. Hamas is the core of the current problem. Just like the Nazis, just like the Japanese military of WWII.
If Gazans want to make a difference, to find peace, they will rebel against their vicious murderous enslavers - who hide behind women and children - who use their own people as shields. Cowards.
I find it astounding that the events of October 7th don't remain foremost in our minds. The torture, the rapes, the slaughter, the kidnapping of children and the elderly. That's not war. That's savage brutality. That is an effort at genocide.
I don't know how we can expect Hamas to be eliminated without their enablers suffering as well. I do hope that some new battle technique can be found to eradicate Hamas that minimizes collateral casualties. But Hamas is a virulent cancer. It must be excised.
“ The [German/Japanese] people suffered accordingly.” –
The Germans and Japanese [and Russians] suffered because the only way for the Allies to defeat their military machines, given the technologies of the time, was to destroy their economies as well as their military troops. It became known as Total War.
That is not what Israel appears to intend. Israel intends to destroy *Hamas*. Unfortunately, Hamas intentionally and cynically *imbedded* their military assets *within the Gazan civilian population.* That has left Israel (despite Secretary Blinken’s finger-wagging bromides) no choice other than to destroy Hamas’s military even though it simultaneously harms many civilians.
To mitigate that situation, Israel urged civilians to relocate to the south of Gaza, to be out of the way of the primary military attack, and Israel paused its attacks to allow time for the migration. Has any other nation ever done such a thing? Only the Israeli “warmongers” have, to the best of my knowledge.
Yes! "Never again"!!!
The evidence continues to grow that Hamas started this terrorism because it was afraid of being marginalized. Prior to October 7th, the region was relatively peaceful. Israel was making progress toward recognition with its neighbors, and Hamas did not have a seat at the table. They were governing a failed, destitute, territory with no plan for improving the lives of its citizens. (While its leaders, by the way, lived in luxury in Qatar.) What they did have was a group of fanatics dedicated to Israel's destruction. So that was the weapon they unleashed on unsuspecting, unarmed, civilians. Hamas must be destroyed so it can never again present a threat to Israel.
… a threat to Israel and the Middle East!
Thank you for this eloquent reminder of the history. I wish everyone could read it.
Substitute kill for drive out.
wasn't able to open the link
Which link Ed?
the one from the Oakland council meeting.
Actually, I may not want to see it. It probably rehashes all of the hate being expressed by so many people.
I made a comment on this newsletter today that I spoke at County Commissioners' meeting yesterday. They are quite supportive of the Jewish community in Missoula. It's about Menorah placement. Rotunda or on the lawn. They are concerned about perception and vandalism. Their arguments are fair. Afterwards we were all talking about Montana stuff. I harvested an "alien deer." One of the commissioners wanted me to show my picture before he showed me his. I said that we need to see your picture first because no one has ever seen a rack like the one on my buck. Everyone was amazed. I told them I'm naming him "Buck Rogers." This is what we do in Montana...we may argue but we find ways to get along.
Time magazine seems to say it was Israel that restarted bombing (& plans to target So Gaza next!)
“ Israeli fighter jets hit targets in the Gaza Strip minutes after a weeklong truce expired on Friday, as the war with Hamas resumed in full force. Black smoke billowed from the besieged territory, and Israel dropped leaflets over parts of southern Gaza urging people to leave their homes, suggesting it was preparing to widen its offensive.
In Israel, sirens warning of incoming rockets blared at several communal farms near Gaza, a sign that militants also restarted attacks, but there were no reports of hits. The renewed hostilities heightened concerns for Palestinians in the tiny coastal enclave as well as about 140 hostages who remain there, after more than 100 were freed during the truce“
https://time.com/6341281/israel-resume-combat-hamas-gaza/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=sfmc&utm_campaign=newsletter+brief+default+ac&utm_content=+++20231201+++body&et_rid=318942417&lctg=318942417
Time magazine hasn’t been a real news source for years. Nor does that article seem to say what you are implying. No time frames are given as to what happened first.
I don’t have anyone on the ground in the region, so I can’t know who is right. I am only responding to your allegation that Hamas restarted attacks.
I think I’d trust Time magazine as much as your source Times of Israel in this matter.
And if I remember correctly you’ve already labeled most American news sources as unreliable.
Only Time magazine does not say Israel restarted the attack
So there’s that.
EDITED TO ADD: Secretary of State Blinken was on NBC News this afternoon and affirmed it was indeed Hamas that broke the truce.
https://youtu.be/wYh5ZsYXOD0?si=VJMk-uYBqzULrPht
Thanks for your comments on Kagan's article, I got about halfway through and gave up but thought I might have been missing a point.
Do we need James Carville to come back and restate the issue as "It’s fascism, stupid" so that everyone understands. Apparently Trump’s own words aren't clear enough. Glad to see that Bruni is teachable though. Maybe some of his NYT colleagues will follow along.
Thank you again (and again) Robert The effort you put in to help us keep our sanity and remain effective is an appreciated gift to all of us. I read Jessica regularly. "Don't know what to do? Here's what you CAN do, and maybe this or this." She is great It is hard to remain focussed.
Thank you, Ransom!
You are a great resourse.THANK YOU!
Thank you for commenting on Robert Kagan's piece in the WAPO. I just wrote this in the comments section of the piece (13K+ comments!) and also sent it as a "letter to the editor", something I have started to do thanks to the suggestions that you and your readers have made. "This piece is absolute drivel and Robert Kagan is just a fear mongerer. He is looking at the odds of a Trump dictatorship in a vacuum, having not considered the results of every election since 2016, which have repudiated Trump/MAGA politics. He is ignoring the growing backlash against incompetent representatives like Lauren Boebart and MTG and the very successful grass roots efforts to GOTV for 2024 - just as they did in 2018, 2020, and 2022. Democrats and the Biden Administration are not the feckless bunch he has portrayed them to be. Kagan has developed the parting of the Red Sea theory of a Trump march to the White House. Wrong. MAGA Republicans are a vocal minority. How many of them showed up to rally in Florida when Trump went to court for his indictment? Very few. MAGA Republicans are learning that following Trump's direction leads straight to a jail sentence. Please, WAPO, give us some insightful opinion pieces backed with thoughtful analysis of the full picture of what is happening as we head toward the 2024 elections. This is pure fantasy."
I highly recommend that, when talking to friends, family, or larger groups, we make this an election not just about democracy but about FREEDOM. Celinda Lake says that is the word that motivates Americans the most. Especially when you talk about having freedoms “taken away.” Lake pointed out in one of her presentations that humans are hardwired to not want things taken away from them. So if we frame it as “Donald Trump wants to take away your freedoms” that is something most Americans will react to strongly and viscerally. “Democracy” as a word is more abstract. Freedom to vote, freedom to love who you want, freedom to start a family when or if you want, freedom to be safe from gun violence, freedom to read what you want, these are things everyone understands, and no one wants to lose.
posting this tonight!
Thank you, Jessica. What you write here is especially important because the Republicans, and particularly the far right “freedom“ caucus, have taken that word and tried to make it their own. They are selling us fascism, while calling it freedom. We need to reclaim that word. In one of Biden‘s first campaign ads after he announced he was running again, he used the word Freedom over and over again to define what his administration is about.
Excellent post! Thanks, Jessica.
Jessica, Regrettably, Republicans, historically, have become quite adept at conflating the terms “freedom” and “deregulation,” thereby convincing a large swath of the country that regulations aimed at moderating excesses that block even a modicum of distributive, or perhaps redistributive, justice are an affront to individual freedom. Accordingly, I have pressed for replacing the term “regulations” with “protections” thus, associating freedoms with protections, a connection that I believe clarifies the meaning of freedom in each of your examples.
Good points!!!
As someone who travels in several circles largely dominated by people who say they can’t vote for Biden in 24, I’ve never had a more potent rejoinder than “A vote is a chess move, not a valentine” (Rebecca Solnit). Thank you Robert for a most effective rhetorical tool that has changed more minds than any other device I’ve enlisted.
Change your circles and remind them of the choice they need to make.
Stephen, I value the fact that I travel among a broad range of people who represent a broad range of views and investments of time and energy. My point was to amplify my gratitude for a rejoinder, when warranted, that more so than any other has been effective in reforming people’s beliefs and attitudes.
I agree and understand. My point is sometimes you need to walk away from friends because the divide becomes too great.
I have worked hard to keep my one Republican friend. There is more to a person than their political beliefs. At least that is how I feel!
True but sometimes it’s a Trump type person who shows you the character of your friend.
Understood, Stephen!
I agree with Robert completely. Unless a miracle candidate appears, if we don’t all vote for Biden, we are done. And I ask people to imagine what our daily lives as citizens in a dictatorship might look like. Especially we Liberals or lead organizers. Being stalked, jailed, disappearing without word? Biden is the only present way out and he is actually a strong but I guess just too humble and unassuming, boring person to cut through our entertainment drenched minds. Maybe he could pick up a chainsaw and wield it at his next speech? I hear that has worked elsewhere.
Robert..I signed up for your burnout webinar but care for my ancient mom precluded watching. Is it available on recording? Is there a link? I would love to experience it.
I’m betting on all of. In my county we’ve worked endlessly for 8 years and our stellar leaders are all exhausted. But no one is bailing for 2024. I know we are not even close to alone out there. And we’re smart and steadfast and we are the grownups all over this country who will rein in the insanity amongst our fellow voters. I know I’m not alone.
Amen!
Off-topic: I've been advising readers to let editors know if their editorial policy is off-kilter. It's worth the effort, because sometimes the message gets through. As evidence, I offer this, the letters column in NYT:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/30/opinion/antisemitism-chuck-schumer.html?unlocked_article_code=1.Ck0.2GAM.xN6nADntLtth&hpgrp=k-abar&smid=url-share
I suggest you read all of the letters (they are terrific), but this particular comment is directed to one appearing under the heading, "Biden's meeting with Muslim Americans." You may notice that the writer shares his name with me, but the important point is that sometimes editors do pay attention. Actually, I hope that this one may be a signal that the prevailing winds in editorial suites are changing.
Posting in tonight's newsletter!
Hey that was a great letter! Congrats!
Awww....
Robert, thank you for the reminder to sustain ourselves (analogous to putting on one's oxygen mask first then checking on the rest of one's family) and for your consistent and constant encouragement and plain speaking about what's happening and what we can do about it. You and Jill are greatly appreciated!
Talk about distorted media reporting on Joe Biden's policies. I just read today's "Daily Beast", normally a good source on news beyond the headlines, and was shocked by an item on a Biden action that completely misrepresented what the administration is trying to do. In October, Biden proposed the elimination of "junk fees". These are charges that show up unexpectedly on everything from bank statements to hotel bills to concert tickets. The vast majority of consumers are in favor of getting rid of these types of charges, or at the very least their full disclosure at the time of transaction. The "Daily Beast" has interpreted this proposal as a direct political attack by Biden on Donald Trump and his hotel business. The headline, totally misleading, reads "Joe Biden Wants to Abolish the Fees Trump Charges at His Resorts". The author calls the policy an "explicit election attack". That is just not true. Once again, the media misinterprets a popular Biden proposal in the least favorable light.
Unbelievable. Clickbait. Shame on the daily beast.
Really, worse than clickbait: it’s distortion and dishonesty.
This is the only article that came up with a search for "junk fees" on the Daily Beast website. https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-really-want-you-to-keep-paying-junk-fees
This is the only article that came up with a search on "junk fees" at the Daily Beast website. https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-really-want-you-to-keep-paying-junk-fees
I found a single article at the Daily Beast website having to do with Biden's efforts to get rid of or get explicit fees laid out in advance. The headline is "Republicans Really Want You to Keep Paying Junk Fees". Hotel "resort fees" are highlighted as example of the hated junk fees but I find nothing in the article as political or regarding an "explicit election attack".
Is this the same article you read? https://www.thedailybeast.com/republicans-really-want-you-to-keep-paying-junk-fees
Hi Judith. No that is not the item I was referring to. I should have included a link. https://www.thedailybeast.com/joe-biden-wants-to-abolish-the-fees-donald-trump-charges-at-his-resorts?via=newsletter&source=DDMorning&user_emailA=31cfdfd02596e0a0848ad18eb8946a71&user_emailB=30eecc0d8d63f6a8a86df634bbe699b2e15b577962ddba00fffa3718b29bb6c4&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=231201-am-digest&utm_term=F%20List%20Daily%20Beast%20Newsletter%20AM
Thx.
I have sent Jessica Craven’s quote on “ Hope” to many of my friends because it is so appropriate. We cannot lose hope because we are making headway everyday. The endless appeals and attack behavior and gag order violations are wearing thin with Americans and I think they are losing their appeal and effect. If you want a great dose of “ hope” watch the Newsom /DeSantis debate last night. Newsom has become the surrogate for Biden. https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/30/politics/desantis-newsom-debate-fox-hannity/index.html
Bless you, dear one, for this strong, true, much needed, post. xx's