It is becoming clearer and clearer to me that our country, the USA, is in a decline that will be major. I also suspect that this is beginning to enter the awareness of more and more Americans. Our war against Iraq goes on and on, with no end in sight. Home prices decline, and many home owners are facing foreclosure. Despite the reported growth of our economy, as measured by economists, middle class incomes are stagnant, and the poor increase. Millions lack health care, our schools lag many other industrial nations, we fail to take a leadership position on global warming and environmental protection.
Many politicians, especially Republicans, will treat this as a temporary situation, that can be reversed with some relatively minor adjustments on our part. Obama may be criticized for saying that persons are "bitter", but at least he has focused on the truth. Jobs in many areas and industries are gone, and the hope of their return is just that..only a hope, a dream. But our political system and political class are conservative to a large degree, and real change is hard to come by.
The truth of this decline will be a bitter pill for most of us to swallow. At first, most of those who suffer the least, those at the top, will be most in denial, unwilling to sacrifice their material styles of living, as they do not share the suffering of those below. Most of the pain for a while will be felt in the middle and at the bottom, just as the pain of the war is felt by only a small portion of Americans. But as the decline continues, the awareness will spread, from the bottom up. Sounds like the basis for a revolution.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Jacob's Dream of the Ladder
Thoughts from Rabbi Wolpe's Torah study class today. Genesis 28:10: Jacob's dream and the ladder. Whatever is creative and original in what I have to say please attribute to Rabbi Wolpe. I take responsibility for whatever is confusing or incorrect in what follows.
In the ancient world, people perhaps believed in angels much more than today. There may have also been a belief that angels could operate in only certain geographical areas...perhaps an angel could operate in Canaan, but not cross the border to Haran. Why are angels going up and going down the ladder? If Jacob had guardian angels, then perhaps those who had come this far with him on his journey were done, and a new shift is coming to work, to go on with him as he journeys on to Haran.
Another interpretation is that Jacob was already known as a celebrity; he had indeed inherited the blessing originally given to Abraham. His person may have already been known about in heaven. When the angels in heaven heard that he had been "sighted" at Bethel, where the dream occurs, they came down to get a look at him in person...a "celebrity sighting".
Another interpretation: the ladder, with angels going up and down, is a foretelling of Jacob's life, and indeed all our lives, which will have periods where things are going "up" for us, and periods which are "downers" for us. Sort of an ancient version of a roller coaster.
( For more on angels, see Psalms 91:11 and John 1:51 )
In the ancient world, people perhaps believed in angels much more than today. There may have also been a belief that angels could operate in only certain geographical areas...perhaps an angel could operate in Canaan, but not cross the border to Haran. Why are angels going up and going down the ladder? If Jacob had guardian angels, then perhaps those who had come this far with him on his journey were done, and a new shift is coming to work, to go on with him as he journeys on to Haran.
Another interpretation is that Jacob was already known as a celebrity; he had indeed inherited the blessing originally given to Abraham. His person may have already been known about in heaven. When the angels in heaven heard that he had been "sighted" at Bethel, where the dream occurs, they came down to get a look at him in person...a "celebrity sighting".
Another interpretation: the ladder, with angels going up and down, is a foretelling of Jacob's life, and indeed all our lives, which will have periods where things are going "up" for us, and periods which are "downers" for us. Sort of an ancient version of a roller coaster.
( For more on angels, see Psalms 91:11 and John 1:51 )
Too Powerful a War Machine
Senator Rockefeller was quoted recently as saying that John McCain was not in touch with the concerns of average people, and used as an example the fact that as a Navy pilot, McCain had dropped missiles without knowing who or what they hit. It is reported that Rockefeller later called McCain personally and apologized for these remarks.
It seems unfair to single out McCain or any other American service person for these events, which have happened in many wars fought by Americans. If McCain is guilty of something here, then there are thousands of others who are guilty as well, including those at the top who have authorized such tactics and paid for them with public funds.
But, this somewhat indiscriminate bombing troubles me greatly. The position that we are in, and have been in since at least WWII, is that we have the capability to bomb others and cause great death and destruction from a distance, with relatively little loss of life on our side.
This situation has been greatly heightened recently, starting at least with Vietnam, where our technological superiority, compared to the groups we are fighting, is vast. So that now, we can "call in" air strikes against real or supposed centers of enemy concentration, with very little risk to the American pilots who are flying the missions. The risk ratio is greatly in our favor; the usual result is significant loss of life to our enemies, and little or no loss of life to Americans. This kind of power is morally risky. The ultimate single example is Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Similarly, our invasion of Iraq, publicized as "shock and awe", was extremely lop-sided with respect to the power and capability of our forces versus the Iraq forces.
I wish no disrespect for Senator McCain and all the others who have fought America's wars, and the real risks and losses that they underwent, for causes which I think they generally believed in. But with a military budget which exceeds all the rest of the world's nations put together, I believe America has too much military power, and has succumbed to often to the temptations to use it, when other less violent avenues would have led to better outcomes, for all concerned.
It seems unfair to single out McCain or any other American service person for these events, which have happened in many wars fought by Americans. If McCain is guilty of something here, then there are thousands of others who are guilty as well, including those at the top who have authorized such tactics and paid for them with public funds.
But, this somewhat indiscriminate bombing troubles me greatly. The position that we are in, and have been in since at least WWII, is that we have the capability to bomb others and cause great death and destruction from a distance, with relatively little loss of life on our side.
This situation has been greatly heightened recently, starting at least with Vietnam, where our technological superiority, compared to the groups we are fighting, is vast. So that now, we can "call in" air strikes against real or supposed centers of enemy concentration, with very little risk to the American pilots who are flying the missions. The risk ratio is greatly in our favor; the usual result is significant loss of life to our enemies, and little or no loss of life to Americans. This kind of power is morally risky. The ultimate single example is Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Similarly, our invasion of Iraq, publicized as "shock and awe", was extremely lop-sided with respect to the power and capability of our forces versus the Iraq forces.
I wish no disrespect for Senator McCain and all the others who have fought America's wars, and the real risks and losses that they underwent, for causes which I think they generally believed in. But with a military budget which exceeds all the rest of the world's nations put together, I believe America has too much military power, and has succumbed to often to the temptations to use it, when other less violent avenues would have led to better outcomes, for all concerned.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Who Was Wrong: Senate Vote on Iraq War
Republicans constantly remind Democrats that the Senate voted to approve HR 114, which authorized the war on Iraq. This will continue thru the current election year. So far, it's all true.
But there is a difference. The vote was:
But there is a difference. The vote was:
- 77 affirmative votes: 48 Republican senators, 29 Democrats
- 23 negative votes: 1 Republican, 1 independent, 21 Democrats
- Republicans got it 98% wrong...almost a perfect score.
- Democrats were only 58% wrong.
Obama Speech
On Tuesday, March 18, Senator Obama gave his anticipated speech on race and religion. I heard most of it in a replay on NPR the next day.
It's hard for me to describe my reactions, but here are some:
- Finally, someone in America talks honestly and candidly about race, and his personal feelings about it. The obvious now occurs to me: at some level, white persons, and I include myself, simply can not know what it means to be black in America.
- I am delighted that Obama did not "disown" his pastor. What I am delighted about is that he is unwilling to sacrifice a close friend for his own political gain. He is unwilling to sacrifice someone whose overall life has had a major positive impact because of some mistakes.
- Obama is running at a level which is simply higher than any politician Americans have seen since (probably) Bobby Kennedy. I don't know if he will get the Democratic nomination. I don't know if he will win vs McCain in the general election. But I do know that I now have someone to support.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
A Snippet of Another's Life
Last Saturday morning, I was talking my usual morning walk, when I passed a teenage girl talking on a cell phone. Her tone was irritated. I only caught one sentence, and I'm not sure which it was, if either, but it sounded like:
"Just for once, can we talk about something other than Shabbas?"
OR
"Just for once, can we talk about something other than shopping?"
"Just for once, can we talk about something other than Shabbas?"
OR
"Just for once, can we talk about something other than shopping?"
Whom to Trust? Who to be in Charge?
Wednesday night, March 19, 2007, on the PBS News Hour; Judy Woodruff interviewed a cross-section of 10 Americans on their views on the Iraq War. The group seemed to be about equally divided: Republicans, independents and Democrats.
One of the group was Henry Lujan, a Nevada Republican, and a disabled vet from Iraq. I have tried to capture his first participation in the discussion, as follows. My apologies to Mr Lujan in advance if I did not transcribe his remarks fully or correctly:
"It's easy for people who have never been over there to criticize what goes on over there. The people who want us there.....my unit is right there now, boots on the ground. My 72nd, the unit that opened Abu Ghraib in 2003, they're back over there again and they're saying the people are shopping, they're out in the parks, they want us there. The thing is that, like I said before, it's easy for everyone back here to criticize what goes on over there when they actually have no clue because they're getting all their feedback from the TV or papers. The feedback I am getting from my guys over there is that the infrastructure it being built, they working on getting the military situated so that we can pull out, but I think we'll pull out when the military leaders state, not because of politicians are being pressured by the citizens because of a vote or an election or something like that."
(Mr Luhan also made more extensive remarks later in the broadcast piece.)
My reactions to this:
One of the group was Henry Lujan, a Nevada Republican, and a disabled vet from Iraq. I have tried to capture his first participation in the discussion, as follows. My apologies to Mr Lujan in advance if I did not transcribe his remarks fully or correctly:
"It's easy for people who have never been over there to criticize what goes on over there. The people who want us there.....my unit is right there now, boots on the ground. My 72nd, the unit that opened Abu Ghraib in 2003, they're back over there again and they're saying the people are shopping, they're out in the parks, they want us there. The thing is that, like I said before, it's easy for everyone back here to criticize what goes on over there when they actually have no clue because they're getting all their feedback from the TV or papers. The feedback I am getting from my guys over there is that the infrastructure it being built, they working on getting the military situated so that we can pull out, but I think we'll pull out when the military leaders state, not because of politicians are being pressured by the citizens because of a vote or an election or something like that."
(Mr Luhan also made more extensive remarks later in the broadcast piece.)
My reactions to this:
- I sense a distrust in the media....TV and newspapers. This alone I could sympathize if not agree with, but it goes on to express trust in the very U.S. persons who are executing the issue in question...some troops, and friends of his. I have some distrust of the media, but my distrust of our administration, from the President on down to the field commanders, is much greater. As we learned in Vietnam, when we are loosing a war, the last persons to trust to give us the full story are those in the chain of command, from bottom to top.
- Who should make the decisions? According to Mr Luhan, it should not be political leaders, especially those influenced by votes or an election. No, it should be the military leaders...the ones whose reputation depends on the outcome. This is "democracy" turned up side down. But George Bush would probably agree...he seems to have surrendered the decisions to General Petraeus.
- Thus, the war becomes self-perpetuating. Once we have gone to war, regardless how foolish or duplicitous the reasons given, we must stay in until the military decides we, the nation, have either won or had enough.
- In the upcoming election, the Republicans will want to focus on "going forward from here". They will avoid looking back or reviewing the run-up to the war, or the poor planning and execution since before the shooting began. We must insist that we revisit the who and the what that got us here in the first place, and who wil be in power to make the decisions going forward.
- My final thought for now: I am afraid that Mr Luhan's thinking about this war is representative of a large portion of the American populace. These persons will probably vote overwhelmingly for John McCain.
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