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Last Monday, President Obama made a televised appeal to Americans in regard to the ongoing conflict about how to reduce the nation’s debt. Speaker of the House John Boehner offered the Republican rejoinder. OMG! In asking Americans to urge their Congressional representatives to support a balanced approach to deficit and debt reduction—spending cuts along with…
Read More >>We keep hearing about how bad the economy is, but I find that difficult to believe. The Dow Jones and S&P 500 are close to new highs in the post-Great Recession cycle. President Obama and congressional leaders may even reach a deal—no matter how shortsighted—on controlling the deficit. And the NFL lockout may end this…
Read More >>As I write, I contemplate not receiving my Social Security next month. President Obama and congressional leaders will likely go down to the wire to solve the nation’s debt problem. At that, they may not reach an accord—or any meaningful one. Some thoughts: • Republicans anguish about “entitlements.” What a misleading word! Others aren’t entitled…
Read More >>There’s an old saying: “There are none so blind as those who will not see.” This week’s Torah portion, Balak, offers a timeless example. The Midianite prophet Balaam is on speaking terms with God. The Midrash (Numbers Rabbah 20:1) advises, “You find that all the distinctions conferred upon Israel were conferred upon the nations. In…
Read More >>I was in the canned soup aisle at the supermarket the other day. A white-haired couple was studying prices. The man, with a friendly face and a paunch a loose shirt couldn’t conceal—I’ll call him Jack—smiled. “If you look, you can find some real good buys.” His wife, with rosy cheeks and a pleasant smile…
Read More >>Last Wednesday, President Obama announced that in July he will start drawing down American troops from Afghanistan. Ten thousand will be gone by December 31, another 23,000 by summer 2012. It’s more than time. America’s post-9/11 invasion of Afghanistan was warranted to find Osama bin Laden and destroy the training camps he’d established under Taliban…
Read More >>With the summer solstice on the horizon, we can’t help thinking about what the recent Arab spring has meant. Protests and revolutions developed from Algeria to the Persian Gulf. Some deposed tyrants—Tunisia’s Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak. Others keep trying in Libya and Yemen, Bahrain and Syria, where Bashar al-Assad seeks to maintain…
Read More >>In Mountain Lake Park the other day, I met three young people hefting backpacks—a man with a goatee, a walking stick and a purple hat that would have done Dr. Seuss proud and two women in colorful clothes. They were heading to the Golden Gate Bridge to hitchhike up to Spokane, Washington. I gave them…
Read More >>At Torah Study a few weeks ago, several people took offense at the concept of Israel as God’s chosen people. My response: yes, the Torah portrays Israel as chosen. But as I write in GOD’S OTHERS, going beyond a surface reading reveals just what Israel is chosen for. Throughout the biblical narrative, all nations remain…
Read More >>Gertude Stein’s famous “There is no there there” implied that Oakland, her childhood home, had not achieved much of a presence. San Franciscans often agree. So, too, many Americans think that progress and decency end at this nation’s borders. Having returned Wednesday from two weeks in Paris and London, I’d like to remind those Americans…
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