By Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM–Among the things I remember from my history lessons in Fall River is that the British forces employed Hessian mercenaries against the American patriots. Both “mercenary” and “Hessian” had a nasty tone in the textbooks and class discussions. I wonder if those lessons remain in place, and if they are coupled […]
A cautionary note about government subcontractors Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Rabbi Ben Kamin MEMPHIS—He discovered something within himself to elevate his hard, quick journey (some say it was his deep love of the Gospel) and his uncommon vision. In truth, Martin Luther King, Jr. (born Mike King) lived a short, brutal life, filled with prison stays, bouts of depression, fear, and threats. Yet he
In praise of Martin Luther King Jr. Read More »
USA
By Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — The sound bite went viral — the president of the United States asking the Russian president to carry a message to Putin for “space” in dealing with contentious missile defense issues until after the election so the American president would have “more flexibility.” The photos went viral as well:
President should trust Russia less and American friends more Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy Rabbi Ben Kamin SAN DIEGO — The problem is not what we know; it’s what we feel. We do not really know what happened: for the vast majority of us, it happened somewhere else (in the previously unknown town of Sanford, Fla.). We are relying entirely on the media with its pundits and professional
In absence of facts, emotions are fanned in Trayvon Martin case Read More »
USAby Roz Rothstein and Roberta Seid LOS ANGELES — Over the past 10 years, we have repeatedly witnessed efforts to shut down guest speakers who present an Israeli perspective on college campuses and in communities. Typically, when sponsors publicize their upcoming Israel-related program, anti-Israel groups mobilize to plot to hijack the event and effectively silence
Advice for dealing with anti-Israel disruptions Read More »
USA
By David Brin ENCINITAS, California — A deep irony, underlying our political season, is that the U.S. middle class…the biggest victims of the first decade of this century, are also being slandered relentlessly. The ongoing campaign of propaganda that democracy can’t work and we should turn to oligarchy has many threads. May I take
The calumny against America’s middle class Read More »
USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — “What is being done in Homs [Syria] . . . is simply appalling and shouldn’t be allowed to stand in our world,” said British Prime Minister David Cameron in Washington. The British, he said, are cataloguing “these crimes,” and Asad should “always remember that international law has got a long reach
If Syria, Egypt have zero to fear from U.S, why should Iran? Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy David Brin == From the Transparency Front == Total Information Awareness? NSA (the National Security Agency) is building a mammoth electronic spy center in Utah. The $2 billion Utah Data Center, to be completed by Sept. 2013, will be five times
Who’s watching those who watch us? Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — The United States is the 800 pound gorilla in our living room. And just about everyone else’s living room. Not only is an 800 gorilla large and powerful enough to be unremovable, but it is also clumsy and may do more by way of damage than it adds to the
American voters’ complaints laughable overseas Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USAWASHINGTON, D.C (Press Release) — The Republican Jewish Coalition (RJC) on Friday released an analysis of support for Israel broken down by political affiliation that reveals a clear “Israel Gap” between the parties. Republican support for Israel is 25 points higher than Democratic support, and according to Gallup, only a bare majority, 53% of Democrats, express
RJC says Republicans more favorable than Democrats to Israel Read More »
USABy Ira Sharkansky JERUSALEM — It should be no surprise that the excitment of the American presidential campaign deals with domestic issues. The American voter is not responsible for his or her country being the most prominent in the world, with its hands almost everywhere. They are concerned that jobs, housing, and other needs are more
World depends on U.S.; yet elections decided on domestic issues Read More »
Ira Sharkansky, USA
By Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel SAN DIEGO — At our downtown TBS Jewish business ethics class, we discussed an interesting subject dealing with the problem of suspicion. The beginning of Parshat Pikudei (Vyakhale-Pikudei), Moses presents a complete inventory of all the items that he and the priests collected for the Tabernacle (Exod. 38:21) Moses gives
Mishnah could teach TSA a lesson about dignity Read More »
Michael Leo Samuel-Rabbi, USABy Shoshana Bryen WASHINGTON, D.C. — Defense Secretary Leon Panetta was to address a mixed U.S.-Afghan audience at Camp Leatherneck in Afghanistan only weeks after six American solders were killed by Afghan soldiers, and days after an American soldier allegedly killed 16 Afghan civilians. That circumstance alone would ensure a tense atmosphere, but the decision
Panetta disrespected Marines fighting in Afghanistan Read More »
Shoshana Bryen, USABy Natasha Josefowitz, Ph.D. LA JOLLA, California — San Diego is becoming a multicultural city more and more. The Asian and Hispanic populations are growing at a faster rate than the white. When I gave the commencement speech at the University of California, San Diego a few years ago, I was impressed with the large percentage
What are America’s cultural biases? Read More »
Natasha Josefowitz, USA