IT'S A MAD MAD MAD WORLD! REMEMBER THAT MOVIE?

     Remember seeing that movie? It was a madly comic fast moving movie, almost dizzying in its pace, if I recall correctly, and it pointed out many absurdities of the world at that time. Well, not much has changed in the absurdities of the world since then.
     Republicans and Democrats hammered at each other so badly last term that they won the dubious honor of being awarded the most do nothing Congress title. Tea Party candidates are losing elections, yet still pulling the Republican Party to the right? Why?
     Over 300 terrified mostly Christian girls are brutally kidnapped in Nigeria with a dim outlook for their future and their captor, a nutjob from the getgo, blusters away on the video links to the world, laying out his demands while questioning why all the fuss, after all, they are only girls, female, so of no importance.
     NYU, well known university, expands to Abu Dhabi and in partnership with the Emirate, has a campus built over there. OK, not a big deal as universities are doing that today, building in other countries. Even the Technion from Haifa, Israel is building, in a joint effort, on Roosevelt Island. BUT - there is a difference. NYU, is the same university where students were allowed to rampage freely thru a dormitory with many Jewish residents, and shove "evacuation" notes under their doors, all in conjunction with the BDS movement which targets, unfairly, the country of Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. This same university, which swore that the workers, builders of the campus over there would have safeguards, fair treatment, decent living conditions, fair pay, at least for that part of the world and yet....and yet, what did we get for that promise? Horrendous conditions, lies through and through.
     Why are there not any outcries from the BDS group? Why not sanction the Emirates? Why not take NYU to task for what it allowed? These are logical questions and hatred has no logical basis, no logical reasons. Topsy - turvy, mad mad mad world!
     Two thirds of the Jews of France, many originating in French territories and colonies in North Africa, are contemplating emigrating, immigrating to Israel, the country where they are accepted and welcomed. Why must there be a population of Jews, today, in 2014, having to contemplate uprooting themselves because of an ancient and toxic hatred? Why does a supposed rapper, Macklemore, think it is OK to don a "disguise" with anti semitic overtones, using stereotypes to get his message across?
     It is a mad mad mad world indeed and I have no answers to these questions. I have no answers as to why there is still, in 2014, such hatred and baseless animosity, such a turning of blind eyes to issues of importance in the world because the answers will require hard thought and hard work. There are too many trends today that are discomforting, with the courts now favoring big business, with purposeful ignoring of man's share of the blame for global warming and the molasses forward movement in rectifying the problem, or at least starting on it.
     It is incumbent upon us, the electorate, to make our wishes and concerns clear to the politicians and then vote accordingly. Will we do that? Based on past performance and history, probably not. Sad, but true.
     Gotta go and look at some pictures of the grandchildren and get in a better mood. Think about all this. Have a good day out there.