Columns
LIBERALS, MORAL ABSOLUTES, AND THE MIDDLE EAST
An Israeli soldier splashes water on his face as he stands atop a tank outside the northern Gaza Strip July 22, 2014. REUTERS/Baz RatnerA big majority of Americans say Israel is justified in its response to Hamas, but a CNN/ORC poll shows revealing ideological differences in attitudes toward the Middle East. Among Republicans, 73% stand with Israel, and with Independents that support hits 56%. But among Democrats only a minority—45%—feels the Jewish state is justified in its military response to stop rocket attacks and terror tunnels. Across the spectrum, Americans who back Israel outnumber those who don’t by nearly two-to-one, but the...
Read MorePITY CAN’T TRUMP COMMON SENSE
It’s a basic rule of human nature: if you reward bad behavior, you’ll get more of it. That’s why pity can’t trump common sense regarding thousands of children arriving in our country illegally. If we welcome them with benefits of this compassionate society, we’ll draw millions more expecting similar treatment. It may be complicated and costly, but newly-arriving illegals must be quickly repatriated to their countries of origin. And what about the undocumented millions who’ve worked here for years?...
Read MoreConfessions Of A One-Time “Peace Protester”
On August 5, an outstanding organization called Vietnam Veterans for factual history will be co-hosting a debate at the National Press Club on the meaning, justice and wisdom of the war. They asked me to contribute a brief reflection on my role as an anti-war organizer, mostly during my time at Yale University and as political speechwriter and consultant in the years that followed. Because of the sacrifice and patriotism of the veterans who served our country so admirably in Indochina, I felt honored to offer a...
Read MoreMISTAKE IN LANGUAGE MASKS REAL NATURE OF “MEDIA”
A near-universal mistake in language relates directly to a common mistake in our culture—and both mistakes ought to be corrected if we hope to understand our society more accurately. From Barack Obama to Rush Limbaugh, nearly everyone treats the word “media” as a singular noun, employing phrases like “the media is wrong.” Actually, “media” is a plural form– it’s right to say “media are” not “media is.”This is important, because treating media as a united, singular entity...
Read MoreUN And International Community Share Gaza Guilt
The United Nations headquarters building (Vienna International Centre) is pictured in Vienna May 14, 2014. REUTERS/Leonhard FoegerIf the international community has nothing much to say about a governmental entity launching literally thousands of rockets against civilian targets in a neighboring nation, what does it say about the future stability and security of the United States and our allies? The international community, and especially the United Nations, share responsibility with the terrorist thugs of Hamas for all the bloodshed in the current Gaza fighting. The United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) has propped...
Read MoreUN and International Community Share Gaza Guilt
If the international community has nothing much to say about a governmental entity launching literally thousands of rockets against civilian targets in a neighboring nation, what does it say about the future stability and security of the United States and our allies? The international community, and especially the United Nations, share responsibility with the terrorist thugs of Hamas for all the bloodshed in the current Gaza fighting. The United Nations Relief and Welfare Agency for Palestine (UNRWA) has propped...
Read MoreNO COMPROMISE WITH EXISTENTIAL THREATS
Blindfolded young Palestinians dismantle weapons during a military-style graduation ceremony at Fajer Al-Entesar (dawn of victory) summer camp, organised by the Hamas movement, in Gaza City, June 19, 2014. REUTERS/Mohammed SalemThere’s a bitter joke going around Israel concerning President Obama’s feckless response to the current fighting in Gaza. “Obama says he wants to negotiate a cease fire between Israel and Hamas,” Israeli cynics observe. “Bibi Netanyahu should agree—on the condition that he gets to negotiate a cease fire between America and Al Qaeda.” The point is that everyone knows a true cease fire is impossible with Al Qaeda: they don’t want America to compromise or change, they want America destroyed. By the...
Read MoreIMPEACHMENT CALLS: DESTRUCTIVE DEMAGOGUERY
U.S. President Barack Obama speaks about the economy during a visit to Austin, Texas July 10, 2014. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWhen prominent conservatives talk publicly about impeaching Barack Obama they discredit themselves and strengthen the president. Everyone knows that he will never be removed from office: that would take 67 Senate votes. Even if Republicans took Senate control in November, and even if every one of them voted for impeachment, it would still take more than a dozen Democrats to vote against their own president—an impossibility. An impeachment drive must bring one of two outcomes: failure or success. If it failed, it...
Read MoreSILENCE AND COMPLICITY FROM THE U.N.
Regarding the current conflict in Gaza, two points ought to unite world opinion: First, it’s a war crime for any governing body to launch rocket attacks on civilian targets in neighboring countries. Second, it’s appropriate for any nation hit repeatedly by such attacks to move promptly to eliminate those rockets. In this context, the silence from the UN is particularly appalling. The Hamas terror state in Gaza couldn’t exist for a week without hundreds of millions in aid support from the United Nations...
Read MoreWhy Libs Really Love Soccer
Jermaine Jones of the U.S. fights for the ball with Belgium's Daniel Van Buyten during their 2014 World Cup round of 16 game at the Fonte Nova arena in Salvador July 1, 2014. REUTERS/Yves HermanAs the excitement surrounding soccer’s World Cup surges and sputters toward its grand climax, cultural arbiters in New York and Washington express their indignation at various curmudgeonly conservatives who dare to express our distaste for the elite-embraced “beautiful game.” The most important question isn’t, however, why so many on the right feel indifferent, at best, toward soccer. The true puzzle is why so many on the left, particularly in this Age of Obama, feel impelled to extol the virtues of the...
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