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607 posts

The Bald Eagle becomes Imperial

World AffairsPolitics & Opinions

4 hours ago

The modern world tends to use the word 'Imperialism' as an accusation. America for years has project the idea world as being a democratic one, or if not that republican perhaps. But what happens when the leader of a republic who speaks of democracy and consultation, starts behaving like he leads an imperial power? Such was Ancient Rome of Julius Ceasar. Such we have seen, recently.

The founders of the USA were rather influenced by the glories that once were Greece and Rome. One only has see Washington DC to know this. In the era when the US Constitution was written they viewed the glory that was Rome through the misty romantic haze of the distance in time, and through the glasses of a sincere Protestantism that had, with rational triumph, thrown off the shackles of the Holy Roman Empire. When they came to decide the emblem for the USA they rejected Benjamin Franklin's wise advice to take as their symbol a game but humble domestic bird and chose the Bald Eagle, because the eagle was like the Golden Eagle, an emblem of Ancient Rome.

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US embargoing arms sales to Israel

World AffairsPolitics & Opinions

19 hours ago

I have a reader who keeps reminding me of how the Bush administration violated agreements with Israel by selling certain types of weapons to Saudi Arabia. As I noted earlier, that was done with then-Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's approval.

If this story is true, the Obama administration is doing something far worse to Israel. Although the story is headlined Obama blocks delivery of bunker busters to Israel, that's only half the story (Hat Tip: Memeorandum).
Since taking office, Obama has refused to approve any major Israeli requests for U.S. weapons platforms or advanced systems. Officials said this included proposed Israeli procurement of AH-64D Apache attack helicopters, refueling systems, advanced munitions and data on a stealth variant of the F-15E.

"All signs indicate that this will continue in 2010," a congressional source familiar with the Israeli military requests said. "This is really an embargo, but nobody talks about it publicly."
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Should Jordan's King Get A Free Pass When He Slams Israel?

Law and SocietyMiddle East

34 hours ago

Dr. Aaron Lerner                   Date: 18 March 2010

Why should Jordan's King Abdullah II get a free pass when he slams Israel
with criticism that grossly misrepresents the situation in Jerusalem?

"Jerusalem is a red line and the world should not be silent about Israel's
attempts to get rid of Jerusalem's Arabs residents, Muslims or Christians,"
the king told visiting EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton this week,
claiming that Israel seeks to "change Jerusalem's identity and threaten holy
sites there."

King Abdullah knows damn well that this is baloney.

Israel isn't clearing out Arabs from Jerusalem.  If anything, Arabs from the
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Amanda Graystone sees dead people!

Humanities & CultureSpirituality and Faith

44 hours ago

Greetings.

Jewish date:  2 Nisan 5770 (Parashath Wayyiqra’).

Today’s holidays:  St. Patrick’s Day (Roman Catholicism), Feast Day of the Magi: Dionysus (Thelema).

Worthy causes of the day:  “DemocracyForAmerica.com » Speaker Pelosi: The Public Option is in your hands”, “Take Action: TrueMajority.org”, “Health Insurance Reform: Finish the Job | Senator Harry Reid, Nevada - HarryReid.com”, and “Union of Concerned Scientists:”.

Topic 1:  The latest episode of Caprica:  “The Imperfections of Memory”.  Most of the theology in this episode deals with Amanda Graystone.  Early on Amanda gets upset at an attempt to move a sidewalk memorial to the victims of the train bombing.  She also sees her dead brother at the site of the memorial.  In fact, she admits to Sister Clarice (who is trying to charm further information out of her), she has seen him ever since he died in a car accident
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Goodbye, Uncle Jack. . .

Humanities & CulturePeople

2 days ago

This entire day has been a total loss. Literally. I received a call from Israel this a.m. (my time) from my cousin (his niece), telling me that my Uncle Jack had passed away this morning (Israel time).

I had a close relationship with Dod* Yaakov (at least, I thought so), even though we had not spoken very frequently since we left Israel from our last visit almost exactly two years ago, March 2008, for our older son's wedding. But whenever we talked, even if it was months apart--it was as if we were both of us in the same room, sitting on his sofa and chair in his living room in the moshav which he helped found, philosophizing about family, life, G-d, values and Judaism.

Since we saw him last, he had had a quadruple-bypass operation, and initially, I thought, had been doing well.
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