Friends, the Left resolutely opposes the use of violence and illegality as political tools -- except, of course, when violence and illegality are wielded by leftists, to advance "progressive" causes. Likewise, the Left's perspective on judicial independence is entirely situational and opportunistic. In the United States, leftists demand that the "right-wing" Supreme Court be dethroned, and perhaps expanded so that it can be stacked with cronies of Joe Biden. In Israel, the judiciary is leftist in orientation, so its independence -- nay, its supremacy -- must be jealously guarded against encroachments from the people's elected representatives. Of course, we expect leftists to be hypocrites and to care about nothing so much as the conquest of power, and the maintenance of their iron grip on that power, but to see an American president intervene in internal Israeli affairs and undercut the sitting government is extraordinary. Then again, the extraordinary is rapidly becoming ordinary, and, before you know it, no norm will be left standing. The only question is...who will be in a position of dominance when this increasingly farcical game of musical chairs we call "democracy" ends?
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-66281968
https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/israel-startups-protests/2023/07/23/id/1128178/
In other news, here's some fascinating perspective on Jeff Bezos' stewardship of The Washington Post. Is it making money? Not even close! Naturally, that's not the point...
Speaking of pillars of mass media, in this case social media, Elon Musk seems intent on totally rebranding Twitter. In fact, it's not even going to be called "Twitter" any longer. Interesting! Facebook's transition to "Meta" didn't go so well, and frankly I have my doubts about whether Twitter's transition to...whatever Musk pleases to make of it...will go any better. The bottom line for the titans of the mainstream media and Big Tech is that Elon Musk can't be trusted to suppress all the content that they deem offensive, and therefore Twitter (or whatever you choose to call it) has to go! It's going to be awfully hard, in the final analysis, to convince advertisers to take on the reputational risk of doing business with Musk, and without advertisers any app is in big trouble. Of course, Musk, somewhat incredibly, still does plenty of business with the federal government, so maybe there's hope for The-Company-Formerly-Known-as-Twitter. What's more, I wouldn't be shocked if Musk at some point rebranded himself...into a progressive. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch.
Finally, belief in various religious "entities" is in decline in America, as is religiosity in general, but interestingly big majorities still believe in God, angels, and even hell and the Devil. Theism still has a lot of appeal in this country, whereas in Europe all these numbers are far, far lower. In the Netherlands, for instance, even belief in God can't claim majority support.
https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2023/07/23/poll-belief-existence-hell-devil-down-new-lows/
Dr. Waddy from Jack: PIno Biden's smoky kumbayaa campfire emotion stands in such contrast to the existential danger which informs daily life in Israel as to be truly pathetic.All America ought to express to this heroic population it's shame at Biden's execrably timed imposition. PM Netanyahu will probably be, of necessity, diplomatic about it but privately he may harbor the pity of the sublime for the ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteDr.Waddy from Jack: The well being of Israel is of terrible importance to the world. Because of its courageous and redeeming defense of the exemplary culture of Judaism, Israel is an "island of civilization in a sea of barbarity". If the world abandons it then may Heaven help the world for it's pusillanimity. Is the Israeli military predominantly opposed to these reforms? It's unclear to me from the articles. The corrosive rise of a radical left in stalwart Israel would be tragic.
ReplyDeleteJack, Israel has long had a "radical Left", but it hasn't ever been willing to sacrifice Israeli national security to score political points, or to encourage other nations to conspire to punish Israel for its perceived transgressions. All this suggests that Israeli leftists today aren't fundamentally loyal to Israel, but to leftism, which would, of course, make them similar to "progressives" the world over. It's the cause that trumps all else.
ReplyDeleteIs the Israeli military "against" these reforms? I certainly wouldn't go that far. There's a substantial minority of reservists who are prepared to "go on strike", as it were, to create the impression that Netanyahu's so-called power grab is imperiling Israeli "democracy", but I doubt that in any meaningful sense Israel will be left unguarded, or indeed that any Arab state would think for even a split second about taking on a (Jewish) nuclear power...
Dr Waddy from Jack: Thanks for a redeeming reminder of Israel's survivability. They manifest an exemplary civilization which is the antithesis of the totalitarian left and vital to the world.Like it is in the US, these vicious dissemblers must be countenanced in ever threatened Israel only because of its devotion to a democracy they would extirpate in a NY minute.
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