Year End Reflections, Part VIII (Happy New Year?)

Erin Aubry Kaplan is a regular Op-Ed contributor to the Los Angeles Times.  Her 12/29/23 year-end column is titled "Why I'm not wishing you happy holidays."  She explains:  "We need every bit of our attention focused on what's going on - Israel's merciless war on Gaza, the dangerously stagnated international effort to combat climate change, our frighteningly partisan judicial system...and we cannot avoid what's shaping up to be a terrifying 2024..."  

So, basically, many of the leftwing talking points.  Nothing about the millions entering illegally.  Nothing about crime.  Nothing about people's concerns over "Bidenomics."  Nothing about trying to eliminate fossil fuels, with apparently no understanding of the thousands of products made with petroleum.  And nothing about the Biden family corruption, or the very anti-democratic efforts to keep Trump off the ballot.

No, after telling us the leftwing talking points, she, of course, turns to Trump, and "the realization that Donald Trump could win a second presidency."  She then suggests that evangelical Christians push racism and xenophobia and a belief in racial superiority.  We can thank Biden for being the most divisive President in history for pushing this racial division and DEI nonsense.  

Kaplan:  "...this is troubling.  That 30% to 40% of my fellow Americans actively support or are willing to accept such a dark vision of this country - our country - is colossally depressing."  I agree.  How can so many people still support the Democrats, who are doing everything possible to undermine our democracy and eliminate the idea of national sovereignty for the USA.  Imagine the Secretary of State of Maine, leftwing Democrat Biden supporter that she is, thinks it is somehow supporting democracy, by taking Trump off the ballot.  I guess the Left is proving to us "if you can't beat 'em, cheat."

After acknowledging that she will be criticized for not realizing the greeting is about family and love and affirmation and "nothing to do with Trump," she still can't bring herself to extend New Year's greetings.  Here's why:  "The long campaign to dismantle pluralistic America isn't taking a holiday and I can't either."   

I don't know how much longer our country can exist if it continues to be governed by the progressive/Marxist people running the Democrat party.  Nevertheless, I have happily wished many a "Happy and Healthy New Year."  Even in the darkest times, we need to be beacons of light.

So a Happy and Healthy New Year to all my friends and readers of the blog!

Year End Reflections, Part VII (What a Surprise)

Just as I was already preparing a post in my head about how the D-MSMC is so focused non-stop on Gaza, with far less concern about Israel and the hostages, I picked up today's New York Times.  On the front page, the lead article was "'Screams Without Words':  Sexual Violence on Oct. 7."  I'll let the article speak for itself, other than a few sentences by me at the end.  The Times says they conducted a two-month investigation "relying on video footage, photographs, GPS data from mobile phones and interviews with more than 150 people, including witnesses, medical personnel, soldiers and rape counselors."

One witness saw a woman forcibly bent over while she raped from behind.  "Every time she flinched, he (a Hamas terrorist) plunged a knife into her back."  

The witness saw another woman "shredded into pieces."  As the Times recounts it:  "While one terrorist raped her...another pulled out a box cutter and sliced off her breast."  "One continues to rape her, and the other throws her breast to someone else, and they play with it, throw it, and it falls on the road."  Then they sliced her face.  

Another witness tells of seeing a group of five terrorists raping a woman, and she screams.  "I still remember her voice, screams without words."  "Then one of them raises a knife and they just slaughtered her."  

Others tell of terrorists "talking, giggling and shouting" while taking a knife and "literally butchering her."  Others tell of a woman's vagina sliced open.

Still other described women and girls found "naked or half naked, some mutilated..."  

Another described having "seen several bodies with cuts in their vaginas and underwear soaked in blood, and one whose fingernails had been pulled out."

These atrocities were committed by Hamas, a terrorist group that not only finds support around the world: but also, incredibly, finds support for their involvement in a future Palestinian state in Gaza.  It should be mandatory for every protester in this country to be arrested when violating the law (such as blocking traffic), and the sentence should be a requirement that they view all the photos and the videos documenting these unspeakable, abominable and atrocious acts.  And preferably with their hands bound behind their backs, like many of the victims were found.  And, sorry to say, but let the protesters have some sense of what these victims experienced, by having to also watch while naked.  

Year End Reflections, Part VI (My Beef With Tucker Carlson)

I've known for sometime that Tucker Carlson is an isolationist.  I happen to disagree with that philosophy, because I think it is dangerously naive.  Still, he is not alone in holding that viewpoint, as is his right.  But recently, it appears that he crossed over into antisemitism - and that is not acceptable.  In speaking with Saagar Enjeti on "Breaking Points," Carlson attacked fellow conservative Ben Shapiro and others on the right for something he either does not understand (which I doubt, because Carlson is not stupid) or willfully ignores.

Carlson:  "...there are people on the 'right' who have spent the last two months every single day focused on a conflict in a foreign country as our own country becomes dangerously unstable, on the brink of financial collapse, with tens of millions of people who shouldn't be here in the country, we don't know the identities or the purpose of their being here."  He then expresses his concern for those things making it impossible "for my kids to live here."

Then he makes this incredible assertion:  "I'm shocked by how little they care about the country (including Ben Shapiro).  And I can't imagine how someone like that could get an audience of people who claim to care about America, because he doesn't, obviously."  Carlson, that is just reprehensible!

Let me give you a little background, Carlson.  I know you are not Jewish.  Shapiro is an observant Jew.  All Jews who pray know that Jerusalem and Israel are mentioned in our prayers.  You may have felt bad for the people who were brutally murdered on October 7, but myself, like many, many Jews, felt it to our core.  This was the worst attack on the Jewish people since the Holocaust.  And whether you like it or not (I don't give a damn if you don't), we Jews understand that Israel is not only our Biblical homeland, but since 1949 it has been a safe haven for Jews suffering from oppression around the world. 

The first two weeks after October 7, I had a difficult time sleeping.  When I would get up during the night to go the bathroom, I would go to the family room and turn on the TV and watch i24News, out of Israel, for an hour or two.  Maybe you understand that, maybe you don't.  If you don't, I don't give a damn.  And, apparently you are not terribly concerned about the worst antisemitism since the Holocaust, as you believe Jews are behind the "white replacement" theory.

So, let's clarify a few things.  Ben Shapiro is a strong conservative and a strong defender of America.  But you are willing to take this relatively brief window of time, when Shapiro and many Jews, have been focused on Israel and the growing antisemitism, and conclude that Shapiro does not care about America.  I have written this blog since 2009.  Over 640 posts.  But since October 7, 12 of my last 15 posts have been about Israel and antisemitism.  I assume you would conclude from that number that I don't care about America either.

I guess my other 630 posts over 15 years would not mean anything to you.  My constant defense of American values would not mean anything to you.  My repeatedly saying that the USA is the best country in the history of the world, would not mean anything to you.  If you were a man, Tucker, you would give a very public apology to Ben Shapiro and all the other Jews on the right who you claim do not care for America, simply because you willfully ignore the history of the Jewish people.  

I'll finish with this, Carlson.  Jews will continue to focus on Israel, given the very existential threat to the country from Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah and Iran.  And I will do so in my blog.  And Jews will also focus on the growing antisemitism/outright Jew-hatred in this country, making us wonder if America will continue to be the best country in the world for the Jewish people (outside of Israel).  I will also continue to focus on that.  So, good for you being a Christian in a Christian country, with none of these concerns.  Instead of attacking us, why not try to be grateful for the fact that you have two less things to worry about than we do.