1. A GOOD MAN
“To know the man is to like the man, because he’s comfortable in his own skin. He knows who he is. He doesn’t put on any pretenses. He takes his job seriously, but he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He is a good man.” —President Barack Obama at the George W. Bush Presidential Museum dedication in Dallas, Texas
“He was a charming man, someone who was only ever nice to me, a great boss to work for. You can say what you like, but he was a good man to us. . . . That he had ordered such terrible things, I just couldn’t believe it. Even now, I prefer to remember the charming facets of his personality.” —Rosa Mitterer, Hitler’s maid in Bavaria in the 1930s [click to continue…]
Truth has power. This is especially so when it is difficult but necessary for us to be told, to hear it, to understand it.
Unfortunately, the truth about Climate Change has largely been missing from the pronouncements of the Obama Administration. Truth about Climate Change has, in fact, generally not been enunciated by prominent politicians, at least until New York Governor Cuomo began to use those words, “Climate Change,” in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. Cuomo was soon followed by New York City Mayor Bloomberg. But from the Obama Administration, there is still little heard.
This causes me to be plagued by self-doubt. If Climate Change is the global crisis that all of my research for the past four years indicates it to be, why is not there more coverage of it in the mainstream media? Why was it eerily absent from the presidential debates? Why do environmental groups even seem to not have a sense of urgency? [click to continue…]
COMMENTS WELCOME from Jewish Currents readers.
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Marhaba. Thank you, President Abbas, for your generous words and for welcoming me to Ramallah. I was last here five years ago, and it’s a pleasure to be back — to see the progress that’s happened since my last visit, but also to bear witness to the enduring challenges to peace and security that so many Palestinians seek. I’ve returned to the West Bank because the United States is deeply committed to the creation of an independent and sovereign state of Palestine.
The Palestinian people deserve an end to occupation and the daily indignities that come with it.Palestinians deserve to move and travel freely, and to feel secure in their communities. Like people everywhere, Palestinians deserve a future of hope — that their rights will be respected, that tomorrow will be better than today and that they can give their children a life of dignity and opportunity. Put simply, Palestinians deserve a state of their own. [click to continue…]
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THIS SPEECH AT THIS TIME? Please comment.
It is an honor to be here with you in Jerusalem, and I am so grateful for the welcome that I have received from the people of Israel. I bring with me the support of the American people, and the friendship that binds us together.
Over the last two days, I have reaffirmed the bonds between our countries with Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Peres. I have borne witness to the ancient history of the Jewish people at the Shrine of the Book, and I have seen Israel’s shining future in your scientists and entrepreneurs. This is a nation of museums and patents, timeless holy sites and ground-breaking innovation. Only in Israel could you see the Dead Sea Scrolls and the place where the technology on board the Mars Rover originated. But what I’ve looked forward to the most is the ability to speak directly to you, the Israeli people – especially so many young people – about the history that brought us here today, and the future that you will make in the years to come.
Now I know that in Israel’s vibrant democracy, every word and gesture is carefully scrutinized. But just so you know, any drama between me and my friend Bibi over the years was just a plot to create material for Eretz Nehederet. [click to continue…]
1. A GOOD MAN