"NOT TO REST, NOT TO BE STILL"

  .
"Not even for a moment." Such was the pledge made by an emotional President of the State of Israel and reiterated by other speakers during the night. Always, these pledges in so many words were accompanied by vignettes of Israeli soldiers, men and women, young and the established, who had lost their lives in defense of the State of Israel so that others might have a life. The emotions of the speakers, (and there were no politicians), were spoken from the heart, in breaking voices and steel determination to do their duty, to remain true to these heroic soldiers, many times in a sad litany of these sacrifices made by multiple generations of one family.

Not only was it a vow of loyalty to these soldiers, it was also a pledge of loyalty to the hostages remaining in Gaza. Of the 59 there, fewer than 24 are alive and for how much longer, living as they are in conditions inhumane to the nth degree, yet not condemned by a biased, useless UN. The pledge was the priority of freeing these brutally kidnapped people whom the world has basically ignored. That despite the testimony and the tortured Holocaust victim appearances of the released. Despite the videos taken by the animals themselves, these terrorists - not downplayed 'militants'.

The above words and actions have a third phrase associated with them-Never to forget and never to forgive. For far too long, in multiple millennia, the Jewish nation, its people, have been denied that which has been given (or taken) by all others.  A country of their own. But Israel does not have to take it, does not have to prove its legitimacy. for it is there for all to see and acknowledge. A G-d given gift to His people and with faith and loyalty to their G-d they have returned time and again to this land, despite all the efforts made by enemies, by Empires to cancel that connection. Despite the deranged Abbas claiming that the Temple which stood on top of the Temple Mount (get the picture?)  was in Yemen, not Jerusalem. Well, maybe there's a little light here as not too long ago they would deny that there was a Temple at all, and certainly not two, with many wishing for a third.

With such “cooperative” figures, liars and enemies at one and the same time, with whom and how can we actually talk with and achieve at least a modicum of progress? To negotiate in true faith (do they even know of the term, let alone its necessity?), is an oxymoron of high degree.

These openly self-declared enemies of Israel, with similar verbiage to be found in their founding documents, these promulgators and practitioners of JewHatred, these funders of said toxicity - these are our negotiating partners? Is it any wonder that we have gotten nowhere fast?!  Is it any wonder that no true treaty can be generated by any discussion, however many sessions there are? Hamas claims to want a five-year ceasefire and promises to abide by it. Uh huh! Just as they observed the ceasefire in effect until 6:29 AM on October 7th, 2023, when they invaded Israel, attacking peaceful communities who had employed them, driven their children to hospitals, shared tea with them, slaughtering, raping. torturing, kidnapping, no matter the age, or even dead or alive.  

What good is their word when they have proven by deed that the word is worth nothing. What good is their pledge when it is clear via prior experience that they have no intention to remain true to it? How many more times must Israel fight for its life? Even as nations of the world join in the catcalls, shout insults as lustily as anyone else. And that would include our so-called allies of the West. How many more deaths and egregious wounding must we lay at the feet of these murderers until the world finally admits the truth which they know but refuse to admit due to the bloody intransigence of these terrorists, theses oh so manifestly not innocent people. One cannot have it both ways. It does not work that way. And if one begins the war, one cannot complain if the consequences are unpleasant for them.  

  As for the world in general they must admit, even if only to themselves and act accordingly, that they are complicit in this rather unstable, unbalanced situation. Israel always must give, Israel always must, 'admit' that it's all their fault, cop to the lies and get spanked over and over again.

This is intolerable.

It was awful in our yesterdays.

It remains shockingly here in our todays.

I, we, all of us, must deny it our tomorrows.

Our foes be warned:

We are true to the title and will never rest, never stop when we must protect ourselves.

So it was yesterday, so it remains today, and if we  must, we will do the same in all the morrows to come.

Am Yisroel Chai - Lanetzach.

The people, the nation, the State of Israel live.                                     FOREVER.

"I"M NOT INVOLVED"

   So states our most eminent president. The one who, in his own mind, is a great find. Simply wait as 'much' as oh, perhaps a nanosecond, if even ever that long a wait, and he will let you know that for sure. That stream of self-praise bubbles emanates through his pursed prissy mouth at regular intervals. Heaven forbid one must be deprived of such nuggets of wisdom and enlightenment for too long a time. Just wait a couple of seconds, and he will come up with another bit of self-praise. For sure!

Yesterday the voters of Canada were told to        . “Elect the man who has the strength and wisdom to cut your taxes in half, increase your military power, for free, to the highest level in the World, have your Car, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Energy, and all other businesses, QUADRUPLE in size, WITH ZERO TARIFFS OR TAXES, if Canada becomes the cherished 51st State of the United States of America." 

Right, so simple, for all that need be done to attain that state of Nirvana was to turn Canada into the 51st state of America. Exactly how and even why, in real terms, well, never you mind. No need to bother one's mind with illegalities and impossibilities. Not worth it. Not at all, for that man of strength and wisdom will do it for you. First a word of warning, of truth in advertising, even self-initiated.  Never ever to be real, merely another figment of imagination and obscene self-granted self-importance. Phoooey! Feh. Makes one want to wash one's hands and rinse out the mouth. Blinding the eyes and packing the ears might be promising next steps. Wait a few seconds.

If this all sounds familiar, well, it should. What we have now is 100 days of perpetual voluminous bags of trash, drenched with metric volumes of hot air and gallons of polluted waters. The poor man is mystified. Why are people taking so long a time to bellow forth his unique greatness, a Man of Destiny? After all, his pet Supreme Court Justices have already done so and granted him immunity from any and every patently bizarre, illegal and unconstitutional act of his. All the doubters must understand and acknowledge the errors of their ways and concede the undeniable. Of course!

All so easy yet he remains puzzled, as one can see by that perennial somewhat quizzical look on his face as he tries to understand the import, the meaning of the words being spoken in his presence. Not really his fault as he never did receive a full shovel load of intelligence, only that of cunning slyness, and certainly a dearth of morality and empathy. Truly, a man to be pitied and legally stashed away someplace with a large mirror wherein he can gaze and admire himself for all eternity. Certainly, a dream to be pursued - for the sake of all humanity. Now, please. ASAP. STAT. Not a second to spare.

Note that he goes not alone into that kind exile, for with him will be his entire coterie of corrupt, inept, ignorant enablers. Not only that, for also accompanying him will be none other than Netanyahu and his entire coterie of bizarre, extreme truth deniers, cold blooded creatures whose ineptness and selfishness, their arrogance, their lust for power, fed into the situation to the point of total unpreparedness, allowing for the horrendous massacre of Oct 7, ongoing to today. 

Of the same mentality of Trump, he now blames Bar for "not waking him up" on that infamous day. He continues to shuck this way and that, avoiding the pointing fingers. All the while the manacles of the remaining few alive remain locked to bruised and shredded legs, the air suffused with the reek of deep despair and hopelessness. the remaining few alive locked tightly, chained, breathing that dank air reeking of deep despair and hopelessness. 

The leaders of both nations have violated their oaths to protect, to serve their people. They have placed their people in great peril, enabled great harm to descend upon them, even as they attempt to thicken their shield of Teflon, all the better to   evade truth inimical to their remaining in power.  In the dank tunnels beneath Gaza, the few remaining captives alive continue their horrid deathbed watch, condemned to do so by the egregious evil and selfish tactics of ALL the nations involved, ALL the leaders in power who play with the lives of others. Nary a hint of light to soften the overwhelming darkness of those tunnels, nor of their fates.

We have squandered the wisdom of our yesterdays.

We have trashed the possibilities of our todays.

Our tomorrows?

 ???????????????????????????????????????

THE AIR? THE WATER? THE CONTAINERS? THE FOOD? MASSIVE TOXIC EVENT?

  What the hell is it? What is in fact at the root of this worldwide craziness that we are witnessing at present. How and why does an entire world give up on brotherhood, on friendship, on progress, and flush it all down in the name of hate and separation and disunity, all the negatives one can think and dream of. When did we discard progress made and dig from the trash heap of failed ideas the idea that fanaticism of hate of Anti Semitism ramped up to the nth degree is exactly what the world is missing. In fact, how were the leaders able to persuade right and left and in between as well to join in with the party and spew hate with every breath they take, with every word they utter?

 When did most of the leaders of the world decide to join this unspoken pact pf hatred verging on blatant anomie and imminent destruction of all and any semblance of global pact, of understanding that we all are standing or more accurately balancing on the rather shaky platform of humanity? Why are we once again on the edge of warfare, open and acknowledged. declared, even as we pretend not to see the brushfires growing round the world.

Wars once thought to have been tamped down, treaties made, life enabled, are now burning high again. Enabled by the fuel of hatred and inhumanity, of arrogant thought and animosity of and to all presumed to be different, at least to our eyes and ears and thoughts. The entire globe has accepted the new cloud cover dimming the sunlight in so many ways even as it dims our souls as well. 

The idea of a resident evil once buried down inside the earth to be no more has been proven false. From the trash heaps of humanity, a bad idea of evil incumbent has arisen, of its own volition and/or aided by the strength of hate imbued people. The world has revived a virulent antisemitism already including violence, death and a growing exclusion from any and all aspects of society. Evidently the toxic venom of hatred has never disappeared, never been thoroughly and totally conquered. It remained quiescent, bubbling to the surface every so often and could take a tamp down by those watching for it.

 However, the efforts were apparently insufficient, that point verified by the recent revival of JewHatred on crack! Here once again and seemingly, here to stay until goal is reached:  the total exclusion and/or elimination of Jewry. Wherever they are found. One of the many consequences is how we are today, 2025, living within the same violence of ancient times and ancient tropes accusing each and every Jew of perpetrating awful practices upon the non-Jews  of this world. So dumb so obviously false. yet there are broken minds receptive to all of it, to all of that which ruined humanity, to the lies which almost hourly grow in hate inducing verbiage, in Holocaust denial, even to the rabid tenet of denying the legitimacy and permanence of the modern State of Israel. Quite accessible. Quite accepted. Quite revied in practice and consequence. Unfortunately, quite contagious as well. 

I ask myself what of the future? What remains and what will be in place for our little ones. In fact, what world are we leaving, bequeathing to them? 

Pangs of guilt and the thought of what we are leaving behind. A world racked with attacks upon integrity of structure. A world where mankind apparently has no brakes as mankind take it below the Earth, delves into the depths of the ocean, soars into the skies above and leaves behind trash. If, in fact other beings of life are out there, what must they think of us?

I have been asked by some if I am totally and completely pessimistic about a good future for this earth, for the generations to come. Yes, I am. However, a huge however, I still foolishly believe, hope, with no idea how or why I continue to have it, that there are enough good, responsible people out there with enough courage to stand up and face down the Philistines bent on destruction of this earth, and all it contains upon and in it. If we lose this last remaining thread of humanity, we will have lost it all, ceded to the enemy that which is rightfully ours. Passivity and acquiescence to the powers and purveyors of evil, of no resistance to it, will not take us down the right pathway of life.   In fact, we will have ceded that life and all its possibilities to the enemies of mankind and to   the haters of rabidity of Jewry.

We are all of us walking this earth on two legs. We are all of us equally guilty of allowing this to happen. We all have voices, minds, endowed with the ability to use these gifts with and to the best of our abilities. That we do not, is testimony to our complicity, our stupidity, our cowardice, our avoidance of and denial of reality. Of truths so obvious that it takes a willful effort to shift away and deny them, the reality of it all and the actions which must be taken.

How, one can ask, is one person to make a difference? They, whoever 'they' are, are too powerful. Yes, they do have a power, one we   granted and ceded to them, and we can remove it as well. There will be anger and strife, possibly even more than that, and certainly my deepest anxiety is for both my lands - America and Israel. Yes, we are each of us only one but mathematics works, and the ones can forge a mighty One with power to destroy the enemies of mankind and move forward once again. 

Best of all is that we can do this legally with no violence, if we act promptly and wisely. Within the legislative branch remain some men and women of courage and stability. Our judiciary branch remains strong. The people have been making their displeasure known, via protests, polls and raucous Town Hall Meetings. What we have now in place is what cannot remain and with all cooperating we can effect our own change, our own peaceful revolution and return the world, our nations, to what they should be, where we should be, and to where they should go. 

Time to take all our yesterdays, add them to our todays and top them with the views of a positive amassing of all the tomorrows, so bright and shining.  Accept that vision. A United States of America as she should be, a State of Israel as she should be, and the rest of the nations of the world following suit.

The answer to the title questions?

None of them - only US!!

Yesterday, today, tomorrow, 

In unity and harmony.

   

  

"WE'VE GOT TO BE GOOD"

  How often have we heard that statement or something akin to it? How often have we been told to "Be good".  Be it at school or visiting a friend or greeting a relative or some kind, any kind of garden variety of a situation where behavior, making an impression, is important, at least for the one who intones that order. Be good. Often, a parting injunction from one person to another, but what does that mean in actuality, in a reality moment? Think about it. Is the implied injunction actually the same to all within ear and interpretative distance?

I sincerely doubt that would be true in many instances, much to the detriment? disappointment? of all concerned. The consequences arising from   that differing import can be amusing, serious or even tragic. Thus, the question arises. What does it mean to 'be good' if the original command is not clear and is not followed as meant by the invoker, Then can we indeed expect to have any right to discipline or chastise the one who was not 'good'. I think not, unless we are absolutely sure that the command was understood and then deliberately ignored or purposely countermanded. 

What I find most annoying is when adults use that phrase to demand that another adult should be good. Or a nation should be good, or even we should be good to another nation. What does that mean and in precise terms, not vague words which escape any degree of precise intent, absolutely nothing other than more hot air, useless, unless meant to catch one in a compromising position, one of benefit to the issuer of said command. Kind of nasty, but then again, that is the game of politics, be it personal, statewide or national.

Is there not another way to conduct conversations and negotiations? Is there no way we can actually use that most ignored trait of honesty, to engender productive and meaningful outcomes?  Of course there is, but that would require too much work, too much sincerity. Even should a leader, as unique as that might be, choose to conduct conversation, national discourse, international discourse with honesty forefront, that leader will inevitably be negated, neutralized as the subordinates then twist the words as per their own needs and desires and there it goes again - any possibility of true meaning, of honesty, of compromise and achievement. The lies, the ignored injunction to 'be good' worthless.   

Much of the conversation in the world today can be considered combative in nature. We worry if we are being one upped. We worry if we mean one thing and it is interpreted as such, or misunderstood, on purpose or not and then one must prepare for all the Plan B's and C's so as to be prepared for all possibilities. By the time the conversation ends, no one is quite sure why they first entered into this conversation in the first place! 

This has been so down through the ages. Pick any period of time in history, any era and there's a constant shuffling of sides. Nation A allied with nation B. There is a wartime status with nation C. Suddenly, A and C are buddies and B is out in the cold. It is the real 1984 or Brave New World. We, the people who sit in the nosebleed seats, are of no matter, no consequence, our needs discounted if even been noticed at all.  We live in a world of angst and uncertainty. Difficult to pin down where we are, how we got here and where is our next designated point of arrival. Does it make a difference?   

One would have hoped that by now we would have learned better, with bitter experiences, but we have not. We simply ignored the truth and continued on    the same rutted road on which we get nowhere.  If one needs proof, all one has to do is pick up a paper. Pick up a paper from 20 years ago. Pick up a paper from 40 years ago. Pick up tomorrow's paper. And it is the same old same old. This politician is crooked. This one is dangerous. This one is a pervert. This one is a sexual molester. This one is incompetent. This one is a liar. This one beats his wife. Or, that one beats the husband. That one is totally incompetent and the other is deranged. On and on and on. And yet the re-election stands. They are cheered by those who willingly do so for whatever reason they are comfortable with. 

And so here we are reliving in our todays all our faulty yesterdays, and our tomorrow will be as polluted. We must wake up and smell the coffee or the hot chocolate or whatever your drink of choice be, for we have overslept, our alarm broke down.     and we are in for another replay of mayhem and tragedy, of grief lit rarely with moments of goodness. love and kindness. We must make the most of them. They appear to be an endangered species.

Speaking of which, scientists today have said Earth is quickly approaching the point of no return. Perhaps so are we. In fact, have we already gone past that point? For that answer look back at our

Yesterdays.

 Look to our 

todays. 

Any discernable difference = at least for the good? 

 Try to look ahead to the future and see where our  

tomorrows  

will be. Anything better?

I hope tomorrow is a better day than today, for our besieged troubled world needs help. It needs it now, and it needs us. 

Where are we?  

ME'ATAH V'AD OLAM - FROM NOW AND FOR ALL ETERNITY

  As if. As if the tears I had shed yesterday were not enough. As if the tears of Jews around the world had not been enough. As if they had never been and will never be enough. For otherwise, why would they continue to be shed in overwhelming immeasurable copious quantities and so many times that count was lost long ago. There are no numbers able to accurately report the number of times the people of Israel mourned their dead, their slaughtered, their disappeared into smoke and ashes, or the ground heaved in violent response to the abominations concealed within. 

How many more times can our souls, our eyes, our hearts, undergo the torment. To see mothers cradling their slaughtered child. How many times   must we see parents die protecting their children. How many times must we watch Jewish communities burying their slaughtered, even to today and to the foreseeable future. 

 How many more times, Dear Lord, how many? Never ending lines of weeping mourning souls as if we had not suffered enough. Why? Why must it continue to this very day, to tomorrow, to next week, to the foreseeable future? Why? Dear Lord, Why? Are we not spoken of as the People of the Book, Your Book? The People of the Lord? Your Children? Your subjects? Have we not sung Your praises, written and vocalized the promises of protection from now and for all eternity? What more can be asked of us? How many more fast flowing rivers of blood must we generate till it is enough? In fact, G-d on High - when and if will it ever be enough!! When will those eternally bloodsucking swords be stilled, be turned into plowshares?

ENOUGH. But apparently not so. Never so.

Or is it that our faith, challenged, even weakened at times, can serve another purpose but at such a high cost! Is that purpose worthy of the steep price paid? Have we, Your People, not been sufficient in dedication and acknowledgement of our intent never to forsake Thee, never to ever end our prayers our psalms, our songs, our liturgy, all of it words of Your praise, of Your glory. Even as we await the seemingly inevitable, or combat the swords held at our necks. Our children and our homes, our synagogues, turned into ashes. Even as we rebuild, building synagogues in the midst of the death camps, even as we enter the chambers of death, even at the very moment of death as we choke on the dust of death, even then. Even then, throughout all the centuries, all the millennia of yesterday, today, and that which awaits us in the tomorrows, we sang and continued to sing of our faith. We shout out the words of Shema - Hear Oh Israel, The Lord our God, The Lord is One. Faith. I believe. We believe. So how much more, Dear Lord. How much more? 

When??? Have we not shed enough tears? Have we not been filled with the overflowing grief of terror, of horror, of despair and always of a never dying faith?!  WHEN!!! Our wait has been long enough.

I gather in Your eyes it has neither been long enough nor of sufficient cost. I, and many others, beg to differ. Even today, tomorrow, next week, we are subjected to threats, to abuse, to attacks, verbal, physical, emotional. We have as few as 24 or less living hostages subjected to the same conditions and tortures of the Holocaust. Why? Why? 

I cannot fathom it. I simply cannot. Is it a block on my part and the part of others who question or is there some wounded piece of You that Your people have offended in lack of perfection? Have we not walked the straight line all the time? To a higher degree than you like, but still, we are Your people, trying to survive, do good for the world, and if we are not perfect, remember, Hashem, we were, are, created this way, by Your will and command, to seek perfection, recognize errors and atone for them. Allow us to do so without the inhumane suffering we are undergoing and have undergone for far too long.

 We are good people and do not deserve what has been handed to us on a tarnished, beaten-up metal plate of shoddy material and construction. We are people not of cheap construction and stand firm in our faith, even if strayed at times, have always returned and never wandered too far to be unable to return home. We bring our brethren lost back to us. And we continue to sing of and for You. 

Time to end this nonsense. Time to stop our tears. Why must we hear the beautiful music emanating from a 130-year-old violin, which survived Auschwitz, though its owner did not, played by Agam Berger, a former hostage of Hamas who persisted in her faith even as she called for help from the depths of Hell. Mi'maahmakim keraticha  - from the literal depths I called, accompanied by a young man who lost his parents, no, he did not lose them. They were stolen from him on October 7. All this taking place alongside the very tracks which brought so many of Your people to their deaths. 

Why must we continue to cry. Why must we have to break down at the site of survivors of October 7  alongside survivors of the Holocaust and family members of all, gathered together in a gas chamber at Auschwitz Birkenau to sing the Hatikva. Was it not enough to see Agam Berger playing by the train tracks? When is enough met? 

 Why must we have to persist in creating new organizations to fight antisemitism, to fight this rampant, toxic JewHatred that has grown ugly   deep roots and toxic petals? Must this continue? Have we not cried enough? Have we not heard enough? Have we not prayed enough? Have we not lost enough? 

Lord, tell us. Let us know, for if we do not know we cannot act upon that knowledge.

 For all the torments and agonies of our yesterdays,

for the uncertainty of the todays,

and hopefully for the promises of tomorrow -      

 Be with us as you promised. Me'atah V'ad Olam. From now until forever, for all eternity.

Hashem, this is only the voice of one little insignificant person. My pleas may not be worthy of Your ears but certainly the amassed voices, ears, souls and hearts and tears of Your People should be enough to get Your attention. Hear them. See them Do something now. NOW!!!! 

No. More. When.

I DO KNOW SOMETHING

  Yesterday I was raising questions of myself, for myself, perhaps trying to uncover a good place for myself, connecting faith and observational rules. This place would allow for a melding of the two, a niche of security, yet also allowing for an ongoing evaluation, reassessing and acceptance and/or challenge, without losing my way.  To remain without that flexibility is to accept a rote and routine which too often saps the freshness of commitment to belief, exactly that staleness I wish to avoid. Certainly not easy, and the temptation to avoid the challenge, to remain comfortably where I am is always there; hence the necessity at times to give myself a proverbial kick start and get where I need to go.

However, faith is not the only area which must undergo challenge and change. That is the area of principles, the tenets by which one rules one's life. Going way, way back into the midst of long ago time, I can see my evolution of my political credo. I believe it was in 6th grade when I was first awakened and I realized I could think of myself as   a separate and distinct me, not merely an echo of my parents' beliefs and thoughts. It didn't necessarily make my parents happy, but then again it didn't necessarily keep me happy all the time either.

Like many of my generation we felt a strong connection between ourselves and the freshness of  JFK, of an RFK, who challenged us to be better, to question and improve, to face the odds and overcome them, to remain true to the concept of an America always striving to live up to goals and moving the milepost when these goals were reached,  never to remain static, never to give in to discouragement and always be of service to humanity. 

 Needless to say, the assassination of both men and the return of a stale political entity, one of hollow words and promises soured many of us and the ideal of America we had bought into became lost in the shuffle and the metal and mettle of Americans lost its shine, overcome by ever encroaching tarnish. That crushing disillusionment and disappointment, both childish and not, played significant causative roles in the developing violence of the backlash effect upon our generation. My generation wallowed in uncertainty bouncing back and forth from what is now uselessly segmented in stiff unbending line into conservative versus liberal, and never the twain shall meet. In the midst of and because of this uncertainty and rigidity America too often lost its way as did its citizens. The anger displayed in recent years, so inimical to any rational discussion of ideas, of thoughts, of beliefs touching upon the political world, has led us astray, exacerbating the entire situation. Perhaps to a point where there is apparently no toolbox, no tools to put it right.

I, and many of my generation, are finding ourselves mostly uncomfortable and frightened of the world we know, the one we live in, so eminently not the world we expected to find, or the world we expected to create. Instead of encouragement we have discouragement. Instead of forward thinking we have a rigid, foolish, dangerous, harkening to the errors of the past where we engage in pick and choose operation, a legitimate activity if one picks and chooses the righteous, the respectful, the legitimate, the humane - and we have so eminently not done so. As an inevitable result we and the world have gone astray and so often, too often, continue to do so.

Perhaps worst of all is that we have thrown away and stepped upon our glasses with the rosy lenses and picked up cracked lenses presenting a skewed world, an ugly one, where the love, the joy, is being overcome by the hate, the nastiness, the meanness so prevalent these days.

Do we know what must be done to collect all the broken pieces and solve the problem as to how to do so, to safely and constructively place them so as to create a set of lenses allowing for growth of and in a forward optimum direction? Will we have cleared enough vision to counteract the growing trend towards repression and cancelation of rights, the ever-increasing demonization of those who do not fall in line and the astonishing revival of pseudo-science. 

Will we seek out the best rather than the worst, so prevalent these days? We must, it is critical we do so no matter how difficult, no matter the opposition. We need leaders capable of ignoring those broken pieces, leaving them on the ground to disintegrate. They, we, will rebuild from scratch, allowing for a clear and uncontaminated, unskewed, unperverted viewpoint. Together we can see clearly ahead. See where we must go, what we must do. See the errors of our ways and the nakedness of the incompetent, inefficient, harmful, deranged and crooked, repressive, some even treasonous characters, false leaders, we have of late ensconced in the political realm. 

 Do we have within us that which is necessary to right the wrongs, to perhaps return to the better part of our past? To dream the impossible dream and strive to make it so? Can we put our Humpty Dumpty of a nation back together again? Only this time it will not be with the harmful Kingsmen, but rather it will be through the efforts of the people of this nation. As it should be. As it must be.

Back up to the top. My political credentials have basically remained the same, albeit with a little tinkering here and there. Reality has forced me to modify some, to understand that what we dream of, and should dream of, is not always possible to make exactly so, but still, the dream must be there.

 So yes, sixth grade perhaps here I come. A bit tattered and torn, a bit disillusioned and disappointed but still there in essence.

 Mrs. Saperstein, thank you.

In fact, it must be so,

 for if we do not

remember our yesterdays,

we will ruin our todays,

and certainly, we will darken

all our tomorrows to come.       

WHERE AND WHO AND WHEN

  A while ago I began a journey of rediscovery, of redefinition. This journey has been interrupted along the way by pressure of outside activities and news which reflected and impacted upon that same journey. It is difficult enough to be honest with oneself when soul searching; moreso, in such times as we live in today. It is nigh unto impossible to separate the outside from the inside; thus, in this journey of self we never finish redefinition. It must be understood that no man (women) is an island and nothing and no one can remain isolated from all else unless locked in an impermeable space and even that impels another reality and so it goes.

I wonder who I was and who I am as a Jewish woman of rather senior age living in turbulent times, with no assurance that the current upside down inside out condition of the world will ever revert to former more sane times - if ever there were such times - or were they figments of my imagination and or ignorance, so immersed was I in my own private, smaller universe of family, friends and work?

Into that world bits and pieces of the outside world would at times pierce the border, but they were more likely to be shoved aside after brief contemplation than held up to the light for a deeper inspection and evaluation. There simply appeared to be no time for anything else as life within those borders demanded a focused concentration on themselves, and frankly, in a sane world, that is the way it should be.

However unfortunately real life today demands otherwise, forcing a closer acquaintance and understanding of the larger world and its ups and downs.  All seem to be far more intertwined, tightly, closely and the impacts of one world upon the other cannot be denied nor ignored. The tenor of the times allows us no recourse; hence any understanding of myself must at least include a modicum of integration of the outer world with my inner world, confusing as that might be for me and for others as well.

We begin to understand that there is, in fact, something out there far larger than the four walls of our universe. Home segues into the inclusion of school. School segues into the inclusion of people outside the family's world. Outside influences bring that frightening new world into one's individual world. One finally begins to accept the fact that this larger outer world affects our small and more personal one, and if we do not understand or attempt to deny the connection, we will struggle and stumble far more often and far more consequentially.

Much of our lives, our thoughts, understandings and concepts are driven by our home environments, handed to us by our parents. Our observance as such is directly impacted by how and if we view our debt to our parents, even how we honor them by doing so. Knowing that others in your world are doing the same provides one with a comforting blanket, so to speak. It gives structure and rhythm to one's life, a sense of belonging, a link in a long chain. 

I understand all that. I internalized all that. I appreciate all that. However, more so of late, I began to wonder. Why must there be so many rules involved in religion, in the acceptance of a Being   far more powerful than you or I. Why must there be so many levels of separation between one's own heart and the Lord worshipped? Why can't we at least make room for some changes which do not impact negatively in the larger concept? Is it so terrible if a person feels that tie ever so much   deeper, when having a private conversation with the Lord, or makes a prayer of one's heart and soul rather than chant almost robotically the words of prayer known by heart, requiring no concentration. 

 Many of us do need to remain balanced and grounded in turbulent times and this structure of a nonchanging liturgy helps us in that way. But perhaps we need to make more room for both in a   smooth, interwoven manner. I don't know. This is way above my pay grade, but I do know what works for me. I know what I think, what I feel, what I hope, what I believe and what I wish. Is it of any importance- not a clue, at least, maybe not to the outside world, but to my inner world it certainly carries much impact.

 I cannot see why the words of another should or would carry more impact for me than the words of my own mind. While I appreciate the historical background of many of the prayers, a history which we must remember for always, I also know my history and its input into the creation of prayers individualized for me, for my soul, for my heart, anchoring me to my people, to my history, to my life, to myself, to my G-d. 

There are many out there who can and will find words to condemn my thoughts to prove to me whether I like it or not the error of my ways On the other hand, there are equally as many as those who will support me and understand me, even walk along with me as we delve deeper into our souls and then our most innermost words come forth to create, to feel love and prayers which cry out from those souls. No definitive answer - Taku - a Talmudic word meaning unanswered for all eternity or at least that eternity upon the face of this earth

I do know that there is more to say, more than I can explore in the words of a blog posting or two. It cannot of necessity, be confined to religion and faith, it's practice and  truth, but also how I relate to and with the secular world. A world often of frightening dimensions and threats, particularly so in our times.

 But that is for another day.

 I remember and respect the yesterdays of my people.

 I pray for better todays, 

and I hope fervently for all

 the tomorrows to come.

Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow.

One and the same. Yet all different.

HIGH NOON IN TWO COUNTRIES

 Never in my wildest dreams could I have concocted such a scenario. That my two favorite countries in the world could both be roiled at the same time by the same misgivings. Their leaders are besmirched with corruption and growing levels of doubt about their position in office, doubt of the righteousness of their being in office in the first place is being questioned. Furthermore, the torment of the soul plaguing both nations is compounded by the fact that the legislative branch of both nations has been co-opted to the point of uselessness, serving only as yes men in granting robotic agreement to the demented plans of the one and the selfish plans of the other. The quite rotten cherry on top is the disunity among the opposition along with the truly ugly hate filled viewpoints of some of the opposition. 

There is great concern whether the future of these nations can be turned around, even if they must be forced onto roads less traveled, detouring around the roadblocks of those in power. Those roads might be replete with perils of nature, breakdown of the surfaces of the roads, all sorts of tremendous difficulties. But with the proper mindset, it can be done, particularly if the justices who remain strong in their opinions, to the legality of law, of equality before the law stride alongside and provide guidance, along with leaders of courageous heart and soul willing to put themselves in dangerous way for sake of the nation and its people.  

While symptoms and results of this mood of present life and its major tenets can be addressed, might even be addressed at present, that is not the final answer. No panacea for the woes inherent in this frontier of humanity, there is the art of digging deep down to the root cause of this ugliness, to understand when and where and why it began. How it flourished and moved from extreme outlook to acceptance as a mainstream fully legit and acceptable, even praiseworthy theme. Fortified by new popularity, by deep roots entrenched within the dark places of society, the end result is an ugly morass of filth and skewed outlook. Perhaps even more frustrating is the upfront and center behavior of the deluded “protesters” who, for all intents and purposes think they have reinvented the wheel or at the very least improved upon it and presented it forth for approval and growth.

The problem is that this ugliness, this approval and intensification of a society run by hate is not new at all. It has been part and parcel of the makeup of all societies since time began. Apparently, human society needs hate as the glue of commonality for that misshapen society, bringing it together, allowing them to focus all their energy upon one point. In so doing, it allows for the intensification of evil. Yes, evil and thoughts and behavior skewed to the realization and actualization of that hate.

These conditions, the barbed terms, the spiked words and the antagonistic actions so antithetical   to the formation and growth of a caring society   boding good for the future, instead result in the very opposite. The leaders arising in such a society are the worst of the worst, scum rising to the surface from the deepest depths of depravity and ill will, selfish and devoid of any redeeming factor.   The resultant consequences and possibilities coming our way do not encourage optimistic expectations for the future.  

Think these thoughts go too far? Think again, think deep and take a closer look at the nations and the moods of both America and Israel. These two nations were leaders and role models to the world. Even as they progressed and advanced in technology, even as there were some gaps and insufficiencies in the social safety net, they cared for their citizens and in fact for the people of the world, giving aid at moments of crises.

However, subtly and then not so subtly, at increasing speed, there was a cataclysmic change, a differing mood and operatus mundi took root and supplanted much of what was in place. There grew a selfishness within society, a twisted patriotism which excluded more than it included, and a coldness of the soul when looking at those they deemed the lesser of society, of not much importance or relevance other than to get their votes, deluding them as much as possible.

Slowly at first, the body of voters began to realize their economic health was under attack and quickly followed by signs of maniacal and/or authoritarian ambitions, accompanied by numerous destructive incursions into the governmental structure and the responsibilities and authority of each branch of government. Corruption grew as loyalty to leader was valued way above loyalty to nation, and, in fact, was demanded. The legislative branches of government were shredded as toadies prevailed. Thought became an endangered species, honesty flew out the door and extremism on all sides became the Soup du Jour. The judiciary in both nations were tampered with as well, even as any judges or governmental employees in that branch were evaluated in value, loyalty to leader over the law. Those judges, attorneys, legislators, governmental employes, even personnel of the armed forces were go along or go away.

The stability of the economy, courtesy of the deranged ideas and practices of Trump was shattered, a recovery questionable. Instead of fixing an economy needless of 'fixing' he broke it leaving the way open for our position to grow and for a growing divide among the people of a nation with class variations growing in importance. Moreover along with the American economy, he took the economy of the world, harping back to a bad time   when tariff wars prevailed and the world economy died. Even more important, the dreams of America were shuttered, locked down tight. No more nation for those who dreamed, all condemned, accused of importing danger to the body politic, to the point of defying constitution law and judges who withstood the onslaught emanating from the Trump White House, a House he has darkened. The dreams of America denied and all that displeased that man so wrongfully ensconced in the White House, in the Oval Office, was thrown out. All the babies and all the bath waters gone, along with national stability and unity.     

Israel also apparently became susceptible to the stigma, to the filth of authoritarian design by its leader who has held his seat of power for years of trial through accusations of corruption and presently to the extreme point of compromising of the security of the nation of Israel, a nation constantly in threat, constantly under attack, even before its current modern day state.

Its present Prime Minister, Netanyahu, has turned his back on the nation, to the nation, and has carried out some extremely dangerous programs and policies which have led in turn to the massacre of October 7 as he and his henchmen allowed themselves to become lazy, complacent, not paying attention to the needs of the nation. Hence, they have found themselves and their nation in an existential threat, such as they have not seen for many a year. This leader has tossed away his prior excellent reputation, his service to the nation and for what, in the name of what? That he should escape consequences for his offenses, of the past and the present? As he too he demands loyalty from important members of the nation's government over loyalty to the nation itself, even and I hate to say this, as he perhaps allowed, even encouraged, this terrible, costly war with Hamas to go on and on and on. The people of Israel are also shattered. The economy of the nation is also in bad shape and there is a major brain drain going on. It is a nation drowning in tears and sorrow and anger with no end in sight. Yet it powers along. Moving on, caring for its people, looking to the future yet holding its traditions of the past. 

Both nations are in trouble. Both nations have leaders ready to aim low and shut all out who oppose his ambitions. Who come up and face them and stand before them in defiance and demand a straight path rather than the crooked byways in use at present. Both nations need the people, the legislators and judges and the violators themselves to come to an understanding of how dangerously wrong, how far they have gone astray in their behavior and in their policies.

Will this ever happen? Grave doubt, great clouds of doubt but something has to happen and fast, faster than the blinking of an eye or else both of these nations face monumental existential danger, not for the good, not to them, not for the people, not for the world, not for the future.

For our yesterdays.

For our todays.

For all our tomorrows.

Now - for all.

THE ARROGANCE OF IT ALL

 It is mind boggling. It is madness. It is impossible to be to that extent and yet there it is. Replete with lies upon lies. With retractions when the truth is outed, the failure to internalize the truth - that bothersome piece of verity will inevitably crawl out from its consigned early burial site and let it all out. The arrogance is astounding. Yet beneath that arrogance lies another truth. 

What is that truth? It is the truth we all know about bullies. The louder they shout and stomp, the wilder their tantrums, the more inaccurate their writing, there is the truth for all to see, right there in open view. It is the truth of an inferiority complex. No matter how much that bully blusters, threatens, no matter how he swings out wildly, or capitalizes his already inaccurately written pieces, it matters not.  The truth is the truth and when called upon it, the bully will collapse.

However, there is a problem. Apparently, no one has the courage and the bravery, the integrity, to stand up and shout the truth to the world. The emperor, the would be king of it all, is naked and stands bare-assed before the eyes of the world. Undeniably so. And yet, and yet, we hear lots of "sound and fury - signifying nothing".  This cannot long continue if we, the United States of America, are to remain true to the name and hold so for as long as necessary to stymie and defeat the opposition, those who would destroy it all. Until and unless supporters of truth speak out and loudly, clearly, we will continue to be confined, oppressed, suppressed under the thumb of that ugly bully, that bag of hot air with no power of truth within, 

Where is the modern-day equivalent of that little boy who stuck his finger in the dike? Where is the modern-day equivalent of Paul Revere who rode in the face of danger from the British? Where is the integrity of those colonists who stood up against King George III and his Parliament? Where are our men and women of courage and integrity? Where are our statesmen and women? Where are all the little people of the USA, the me's and you's who know how badly we are affected by the crazed rules and regulations and defiance of the courts that delineate the Trump Administration? Where Are they all? But there is a light growing, illuminating the darkness in which we are entombed. This past Saturday was the second time the entire nation from top to bottom and side to side stood up and protested, made our voices heard. We must continue to do so if we are to save ourselves and believe me, no one will do it other than ourselves. 

Know thine enemy.

Trump over the weekend posted the following statement on Truth Social: "THE BUSINESSMEN WHO CRITICIZE TARIFFS ARE BAD AT BUSINESS, BUT REALLY BAD AT POLITICS."

"THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND OR REALIZE THAT I AM THE GREATEST FRIEND THAT AMERICAN CAPITALISM HAS EVER HAD!" Trump then added.

What should have been: "BUT I, THE GUY WITH ALL THOSE BANKRUPTCIES AND FRAUD CONVICTIONS, AM REALLY GOOD AT IT."

The sound and fury signifying nothing, the useless Senator John Kennedy so manifestly not the original. “And I don’t believe that President Trump will defy a federal judge’s order,” he continued. “If he does, I’ll call him out on it.”

“I love the rule of law. I love it like the devil loves sin. I think if we start not following federal judicial orders, we undermine the system entirely,” the senator added.

UH HUH!! Just a tad late to the game shall we say.

Trading people now imprisoned here and in El Salvador for others in prison in other nations as youngsters trade baseball cards and the cards of Magic the Gathering.

Referring to Trump's bizarre plans to roll up the carpet from the world, beginning with Africa, To totally denucleate the State Department. 

One diplomat calling it: “bonkers crazypants.”

They added, "There’s a lot that could be reformed, but you could give infinite monkeys infinite typewriters, and they would come up with something better than that.” 

The Supreme Court gone rogue and at odds with each other.

A crazed maniac playing Skeletor is shredding the fabric of America to the point of total destruction with no chance of return.

Hi there, Elon and your accursed DOGE. And whoops, there go your flying monkeys.

People of America we have much work to do and little time in which to do it. We must wake up now. The alarms have gone off and are constantly chiming. We must answer those calls. We must re-empower those federal judges under attack who are brave enough to stand up to that crazed man in the Oval Office. We must re-empower ourselves and use the mighty power of the real law, of integrity and to borrow a slogan and take our country back and make America great again.

For all our yesterdays.

For all our todays. So embattled and besieged.

For all our tomorrows awaiting rescue.   

THE FOG

 Slowly, slowly it crept in all night with paws as quiet as those imagined in Robert Frost's poem. It grew wider, higher, thicker, and hid all that was beside it and behind it, as if consumed by a monster mouth. Leaving nothing behind, its appetite was voracious and all that was before it also disappeared, drawn into that huge, apparent void. It was a fog, one such as we had never seen before. It overcame all that one's eye could see and the immediate world within a person's view shut down, nothing to see but a grayish white mask of what no one knew, for no one had ever seen such a fog.

As the fog made its way ever closer to the windows and doors of habitation the quiet groove it became thunderous in its silence and the noise of the world After what seemed to be three days the fog halted in its tracks and began to receive in another three days time It was gone but apparently so was all life Or is that one lonely man hesitatingly opened door He saw nothing Only quiet Stone buildings no sounds of laughter, of tears, of terror. Simply nothing He looked at his watch to check the time to see if it was daytime or nighttime, for when did not know what the fog had done And he noticed that the year on the dial of the clock had clicked over It was now 2525

For those of you too young, or too old to remember that song by Zanger and Evans, it was not a song of optimism. It took us Job 7:40 back millennia by millennia until the point where we lost all humanity and with it all that came with being human and humane. All that man could do at this time was to remember and look back to the year 2525 and that would be only "if man were still alive. If woman can survive." Millennia by millennia, year by year we engage in self-destructive manner and even as we do that, we destroy the future of earth at the same time, leaving little room to insert hope and positive possibilities. Nary a wisp of hope for 

"He's taken everything this old Earth can give
And he ain't put back nothin'"

This song is as appropriate today as it was all those years ago, perhaps even more so. Apparently, mankind has a rather thick skull, and it has taken too long for anything of import to penetrate and remain long enough to impel reform, renovation, improvement and optimism and faith in our own abilities. We have squandered so much of the blessings we have been given, so much of our innate ability to think, to build, to better. We have grown selfish to an unacceptable degree; worse, it is now something to be praised. 

The song emphasizes that even should we manage to remain in existence it will not be one which we, of today, would recognize or envy. In addition, there is more to come. a reckoning we know awaits, deny it though we try. G-d will look around and wonder if it is time for Judgement Day, maybe time to tear it all down and begin again.

If you are plagued by any doubts fear, or perhaps yes, fear, for there are easy remedies to allay that doubt. Computer, panel shows, modern novels, magazines, newspapers, social media of all manner and type or simply stick the nose out the door and feel the acrid abrasive air and know that all is not good in the United States today All is not good in fact, in the world today. Certainly no joy in Mudville tonight or for many nights passed or of the foreseeable future.

 Read the following excerpts and then tell me why or where one might find optimum choices, rather than the least of the worst. Please remember, these are not my words but rather the words of others, a growing number of whom are beginning to come around to either realize or to state openly the same way that I have held for a very long time. Certainly more so within the years of Trump.

We’ve spent years watching Donald Trump attack our democratic institutions, inflame divisions, and corrupt the public discourse

the larger, more disturbing reality: Trump isn’t acting alone. He’s a dangerous pathogen that found the perfect host in today’s Republican Party, an organism already compromised and eager to be infected.

 tariff sticker shock when a routine shipment of cow feed from Ontario cost him $2,200 more than expected.

“I’m not even sure it’s legal! We contracted for the price on delivery,” 

, Trump signed an executive order instructing all federal departments and agencies to no longer recognize all children born in the country as citizens. Documents establishing citizenship would be withheld from any child whose mother was not a citizen,

Trump’s order, challenging over a century of jurisprudence, is blatantly illegal 

 the result of last year’s campus protests, but it raises the question: Will all this talk about fighting antisemitism actually create more of it? -my fear of just this already written,

Americans in all 50 states on Saturday participated in 900 events,  organized by the decentralized 50501 movement. The demonstrations took different forms — some were marches, others were food drives, and others still were voter registration events — but all focused on the same purpose: to rise against what organizers call “authoritarian threats, political overreach, and the erosion of democracy.”

unlawful and illegal behavior. CBS is out of control, at levels never seen before, and they should pay a big price for this." Because they aired two segments critical of Trump - and the truth. That hurts this consummate liar. 

.arack Obama urged Americans to resist President Donald Trump’s bullying. Joe Biden warned that Trump is wrecking the “sacred promise” of Social Security. Bill Clinton decried the emphasis on grievances and the need to dominate.

In an extraordinary stretch of just over two weeks, three former presidents have taken to the public stage to sound the alarm against the current occupant of the White House, despite the tradition that former presidents generally refrain from publicly criticizing their successors.

Musk and MuskRats,  flying monkeys, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, need more?

Aha, not to forget DOGE!

Something very rotten in the nation of the USA.

Time, past time, into perilous time, surrounded by fog obscuring all that is real and true.

Time to act, to push through the barricades of compromised judges and incompetent legislators blocking true law and get this nation back on the right path and out of the way of dangerous foggy thinking. Impeach and restore America.

In the name of our yesterdays.

For all the challenging todays. 

For all the tomorrows to come.

 

UH, THAT WOULD BE A WHEEEEEEEE -SLAM! AND AN OH BOY!

  Did you ever wonder whether during the night someone stole you and set you down in some bizarre, upside down world? Did you then realize that, unfortunately, that did not happen? More challenging Is the realization that this crazed manic world is the world we all inhabit, basically stuck with, like it or not. But really, some of the nonsense that goes on, some of the things that pass as news or items of great information are ridiculous, going from the sublime to the to the ridiculous and then some. 

Why do we find it necessary to tell people that one does not imbibe boiling water in any format? It hurts. It burns. It leaves scars. Enough? And yet ... there goes another scream. Sigh. Why must we put out great big signs to tell people to cross highways ONLY at specific spots...Bam!! Here comes the ambulance or the Medical Examiner? Sigh again.    One should not have to warn teens not to elevator surf and the same for subway or bus surfing. Definitely not conducive to a long life, is it? Yet there they go again ....and there it is again. More sirens. More blood. More tears, Sigh again.            

We are slipping and sliding way down the slope of stupidity in a slalom we are losing, crashing into every gate. We don't even realize what hit us and worse, we trudge back up to do it all over again, whatever "it" is. I suppose it is why a Department of the State of Florida issued a warning of over 400 reasons why one should not pet an alligator particularly when drunk or in any other compromising situation. Really? Perhaps we could have simplified it and boiled the verbiage down to this: see gator - run away. Fast. And what the heck were you doing or thinking? Or not thinking!

Now you did not seriously think this would be the end and be all, the topic of this entire blog, did you? Really? Truly? perhaps hopefully? Sorry, for of course there is more. So back to my favorite topic at hand. How can you begin to understand the thinking or not thinking of both ignoramuses and those who knew better and should know better, to avoid the festering mud of the Trumpian experience? And yet, another deep dive into this stinking morass and for sure no one, divers and onlookers, will not emerge clean, free of this stink of that mud. No healing mud spa, but mud of only negativity and wrong, of hate, of a lack of morals, and yes, danger. Much more even than approaching an alligator to make nice to it when you are drunk. 
 At least the alligator has no personal animosity, for you are merely dinner. However, Trump et al all seem to have that personal animosity and constantly are refreshing it with words meant to hurt, insult, with threats and even actions of great harm to others. 

A man born is arrested as an alien as he enters Florida to visit his mother. he is jailed. An incarcerated man is deported. Mistakenly. Perhaps erroneously, perhaps not. Deprived of all rights even as Trump defies the court order to return the man to America. That defiance is a constitutional crisis Would any other person skated on this action. No, but then again, this man has scared the bejezzus out of all members of the GOP, broken their spines let alone their minds. 

He states he's with Israel and has pried some hostages from Hamas. Not really, for this is the workways of Hamas, whatever benefits them. They are as hard-hearted as the Pharoah of Egypt. If they truly were so frightened of and by the hot air spewing forth from that man's prissy little mouth, they would have released Eden Alexander, the only remaining American hostage, only 19 when taken and brutalized. But wait! Trump's recycled negotiator reassures us that Eden is in a good place   for if he catches cold Hamas and Islamic Jihad fear the consequences. But not too much as starvation, torture of mind and body of a manchild, 19 when taken, does not count for as much as a cold. Heaven forbid he catch a cold!  

Trump's threats are proving to be as empty as his head. He is more concerned with increasing his personal wealth than he is with the condition of the world, especially his own country. This is the same country whose economy he has broken, where people who once had a path for life are now being shoved off that path and nobody cares, for Trump has the entire GOP cowed, pacified. There's no moral spine remaining and they are afraid of Trump as the big Bully of the schoolyard. Time to give the bully a taste of what he dishes out. We are not playing in schoolyards any longer. His threats are empty, mean nothing, even as he holds Israel at the end of a leash. Ordering them not to bomb Iran for that would sabotage his deal making. The same deal that is not only harmful to America but also of existential danger to Israel. Nope. And rest assured that Eden is in a good place. Hamas has assured thus to that recycled worse than useless negotiator from America.    

Worse to follow, for I am now ever more convinced that in his devious demented mind Trump has a policy inimical to the Jewish people. I am ever more confident that this huge plan of his, shutting down universities, threatening them, wanting total control over them, yes, goals yes, but also a method by which he can exacerbate the antisemitism of the world, certainly of the American people. As he uses that “battle” it merely exacerbates the whole issue. Not only has the antisemitism not decreased, but it has ramped up exponentially into toxic rabid Jew Hatred and people around the world, nations around the world are now clamoring to stop arming Israel, to decrease their power. To that I state been there, done that. It will be ugly but we, the people of Israel, the Jewish nation, have faced this before, known worse, undergone worse, but we are here and are eternal. 

So history has proven. 

So G-d has promised. 

Yesterday, today and all the tomorrows.    

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

 And there you have it. Americans and in fact people round the world no longer know how to distinguish truth from falsehoods, reality vs. imagination, truth vs. skewed interpretation.  In fact, we can no longer trust what a picture shows as photoshopping techniques are amazing and can present false images indistinguishable from the actuality of the original photo. What I find absolutely abhorrent is the egregious, blatant nervy words spewed forth from the mouths of politicians and 'news analysts', self- declared and self- appointed interpreters of world events, local events, for it makes not a whit of difference. 

These lies have effects which trickle up and down and this very real game of telephone causes much damage to trust, as truth of supposed knowledge is severely damaged. Lies pile up, lie on lie, posing challenges unavoidable and often insurmountable and another pillar of knowledge is gone. What was once known is now deemed false. Disbelieve this? Checkout the latest claims re vaccines and other purported new science facts. 

Nope, no more truth in advertising and that most definitely impacts upon us as we absorb the presented 'truth' from professional liars who know and have improved upon all the twisted ways in which to gull the audience into believing, buying whole hog, hook, line and sinker to their dangerous, harmful lies. Lives then built upon, relying upon these innately shaky foundations of lies outrageous in import will inevitably fail, with horrendous results. Rebuilding those wrecked lives will be difficult if even possible, and, in any case, there will be lingering remnants of wounds and scars, of emotions too powerful to ever dissipate fully.  

The most egregious of those spouting falsehoods, utilizing false advertising are of two groups, at least those whose words and actions have consequence. These two categories pontificate, oh so impressed with their own verbiage and ability to communicate to one and all their opinions, right or wrong, selfish or not. They are rampant within our society and the air is suffused with their words, truth a rare commodity within those words. 

Who are these groups and their followers who spread the lies and increase the ill effects tenfold? Their spreading of false doctrines instigate negativity all the way to enmity and intolerance and finally violence.  Politicians and the self-declared interpreters of the news, the media of all types, print, social, podcasts, whatever the chosen format.  Politicians lie and twist and evade as part of their natural composition. They are adept at convincing onlookers that the sky is green and the statement of it being blue is merely a long-term lie imposed upon the electorate for some nefarious purpose.   

The cooperative aspects of the media world, print and online, jump on the bandwagon, spouting conflicting 'truths', contributing to the further division, intense and angry, of the nation, indeed, of the world. Little time to think and ponder, to investigate and find the kernel of truth hidden beneath heavy obfuscating lies meant to benefit one group over another, never the twain to meet, never encouraged to do so at all. Total anathema.

How is one to proceed in this world and maintain a sense of sanity, an equilibrium, a willingness to admit that others might have worthwhile contributions to the discussion, that we do not know it all, that opinions can change when provided with the truth - as is -and not manufactured. We must be people of courage and resist the easy way out, fight instead for truth, to pull back the curtains of deceit we don't even see anymore. We must harken to the voices of those seeking the right, the just, the true, particularly within the very important and susceptible world of education - at all levels, especially from middle school thru graduate years.  

Today we live in a world of blather, voices eager to hear themselves rather than listen. We are falling prey to authoritarian riffs, and they attack from all sides. We fail to distinguish between claims. For example, we have a Trump who is busy as ever enabling growth of his personal fortune, via his crazed dictates, all the while the nation becomes more impoverished in a rather hostile world, also a consequence of his demented polices. Despite the warning of Powell and other financial experts that recession and worse is imminent unless prompt action is taken. A President who conducts his policies on the basis of someone kissing his rather repugnant ass -his words-is obviously one who has singlehandedly crashed and crushed the economy of this nation, especially the farming area. The truth beneath is becoming ever clearer to all and there are now sparks of rebellion and regret. Thankfully.

His use of fear and bombastic lies, his growing suppression of free speech, the censorship reaching deep into the schools and press coverage, unhinged, his defiance of the courts, his blatant use of fighting antisemitism as a justification for repression and suppression is backfiring. We now find ourselves as a nation, well down the slippery slope of constitutional crisis and national despair. 

We must choose the difficult path to remediate the mess he has caused. It will be challenging. It will cause more division before we reach sanity and unity, but it must be done. Truth must be the guiding rule by which we live if we are ever to trust each other again, if the nations of the world will accept us, trust us and welcome us back into the fold.  

Truth in policy. Truth in statements. Truth in economy. Truth in interpretations and presentations. Truth will overcome fear, meld together the divided and allow for a better world and certainly a better beneficial true nation of the American people.

 Edward R. Murrow said, "We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason."

Remember that for all our yesterdays that were, 

for all our todays so challenged, 

for all our tomorrows to follow.

Yesterday, today, tomorrow - one truth. Intact. 

If we make it so. 

ARE YOU PROUD?

Such was the question asked seeking an answer from Senator Grassley at an Iowa Town Hall meeting. Proud of whom? Trump and all that he has wrought or instigated or inflicted upon the American people, in particular those of Iowa, the very people who voted for him and put him into office. In actuality, they voted for him against their self-interest for they neither saw nor followed the thread, the eternal thread which leads to the truth of an action or desire. It so consistently is ignored and unfollowed by those affected, much to their detriment and surprise.     

The people of Iowa, the people of the Midwest, the Northwest, the Great American Food Bowl, the flyover states are now scratching their head in misery wondering what the hell happened. Where is that Golden State that he placed before them? That he posted would happen once he was in office, (placed there by the deluded). Generally, most of was to take place upon the first day. However, day one was not the way they thought it would be. 

It was the beginning of the end of democracy. It was the beginning of the end of a government concerned with its people, seeking out ways and methods by which to enrich their lives culturally, economically, professionally, and certainly that of their children. It was a government that had food programs, grants which allowed people to better themselves economically and certainly improve life for their families Yet, suddenly they were cut off as all grants were ceased. Food programs are attacked. Medicaid is attacked, Social Security is attacked and here we all are, wondering, and asking the representatives of our nation, at all levels - Are. You. Proud - of all that you have caused. How the man you so slavishly follow and obey as if a messenger from the heavens, even as is so clear that he is a messenger from the Devil himself has attacked our country? 

Are they proud, are we proud, of what we have enabled? Are we proud of losing our pride in ourselves and the strength of our nation and its ability to remain as it should be, as it was, as it is supposed to be for the future generations? What have we done and how far deep below the surface have we buried our pride as Americans, as a people who strive for the better, to be the best, to acknowledge errors and attempt to repair the damage, not always so successful, but there is always a tomorrow on which to do better, to improve, to double down. Not always the best, but certainly far better than we are today. Certainly, a nation of optimism, of appreciation and celebration of differences and the enrichment these differences provided for us and our kids, for the nation. 

We made a manifestly erroneous and harmful change in direction and all attempts to correct were useless, thrust aside, purposely sabotaged as the new administration of Trump deeply desired otherwise. Those who spoke for the nation and its benefit were ignored and demeaned. In addition, we invited into our homes those who spoke of and initiated nasty and destructive ways and manners and plans for the takedown of America. 

Those with no business in American government came in, empty of the true spirit of America, instead suffused through and through, imbued with the egotism of their leader, with his nastiness and ambition to shred this government and its Constitution, and induced a distorted phoenix to arise from its ashes, a harbinger of the authoritarian government to follow. The antitheses of the once proud nation "of the people, by the people, for the people". Personnel who have no business in our government, inexperienced, tore into the fabric of our nation, wreaked havoc upon its structure, its workforce, its purpose - to serve the people and maintain the structure of the nation's departments in good order. This inexperience was combined with strange and harmful views, such as RFK Junior and the outrageous plans and goals openly stated, to shred our government, to stomp on people and to force our nation against our will and wishes out of democracy and into authoritarian government. 

And we are well on the way. At present we are a nation whose structures and beneficial programs are meant to service the nation, to keep its people in good condition, working to keeping it safe and secure. Currently, with no end in sight, they are being challenged and dismantled. While not perfect the system was working, always on the road to improvement. To insure a better more hopeful life for all. A huge job that had to be tackled if we were to be true to our national ethos. To work for all, to extend rights and benefits to all, not based on gender or race or ethnicity or religion or political affiliations. Not to exclude a state from FEMA because it voted Democratic Party rather than GOP. That is simply criminal, inhumane, in my book and should be in yours as well. Political whims should have no part within this nation at all, yet it is ever so prevalent under Trump, a toxic way of life boding only an ominous future for America and Americans, and the world as well.    

Combatting hunger, keeping the nation safe, warm, secure. Providing health services, educational services, aid for the ill and handicapped, for elderly and retired, encompassing so many beneficial programs. Now all in eminent danger, peril afoot and nothing to stand in its way. The supposed GOP are useless and worse. Repression and suppression, censorship of literature, science, and speech, banning of news services if displeasing to Trump, and social safety net torn to pieces.  

In the name of combatting prejudice more is in engendered. Repression goes way too far, turning perhaps good meant to be to morph into evil with a powerful presence. Hate and violence have become a growth industry, much to the detriment of all. The nation now finds itself on a slippery slope now completely iced over, no potential for halting the slide, even as its speeding downfall accelerates exponentially with perdition and Trump and flyin monkeys salivating at the bottom.  

There is no medium way in this administration, no sanity, only greed and lust for power and wealth.     The slippery slope has turned toxic, with no control possible any longer. Unless. It must be stopped in its track and soon, for the viability of America to remain as she should be is quickly disappearing.   We can do this with no violence if we act quickly, employ all the legal weaponry we still can use. Soon. Much better than later, for later will be way too late. Already we have people suffering where there should not be any. Already we are not the America we were, as we were meant to continue to be. This is not America. Not the one in which I grew up. Not the one of the anthem and patriotic songs I knew. The one where differences were celebrated even as they enriched the nation's culture. Not the nation of laws and traditions. America.  Now we are despised by the world, our economy sinking, manipulated at the highest levels, with much more to follow. Unless we act.  

Yesterday, today and tomorrow.

What do we choose? Will we have a choice?

Yesterday, today and all the morrows.

Up for grabs. Who will grab on and not let go?

Yesterday, today and all the tomorrows to come.