Maybe, Maybe Not

I am actually glad my Dad is no longer alive; this America would break his heart. Dad used to say he fought in Germany so we would never have to worry about being Jews again. The events of the last couple of weeks would've decimated him. FIL, too...and he wasn't even Jewish.

I'm not just talking about the slaughter at the Supernova music festival, the kibbutzim, and the Israeli towns near Gaza. I'm not just talking about a raging mob in the Republic of Dagestan hunting for Jews at the airport. I'm not just talking about the crowd at the Sydney Opera House shouting Gas the Jews. I'm not even talking about Berlin where Jews are becoming afraid to go to the greengrocer because it's an Arab-owned store. 

No, I'm talking about America. 

I'm talking about Jewish kids being barricaded in the Cooper Union Library because a "pro-Palestinian" mob was trying to break in. 

I'm talking about Cornell University where the threats against Jewish students were so extreme the kosher dining facility and the whole of the Center for Jewish Living is now under police protection. Look at the screenshot on the right. Those are credible threats made against Jewish students. Not Zionists. Not Israeli. No, these are threats against all Jews on campus.

I'm talking about Jemma Decristo, a professor at US Davis, openly threatening "zionist" journalists...AND their families. In a Sacramento BEE op-ed piece responding to Decristo's post, Reuven Toff, writes:

Jewish college students across the U.S. have been subjected to antisemitism — and the incidents are only increasing. National Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) has been at the forefront of demonstrations on campuses. They often use the chant “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” in their demonstrations, which is a rallying cry used by terrorist groups, including Hamas, the organization responsible for the recent slaughter of more than 1,400 and the wounding of 3,500 men, women and children. 

Hamas’ Charter unapologetically calls for not just the destruction of Israel, but for the annihilation of the Jewish people. SJP, meanwhile, is routinely permitted by college administrators to spew its hatred toward Jews and Israel. Is it any wonder that Jewish students are increasingly feeling attacked?

I'm talking about Stanford, where a professor didn't simply harangue Jewish students, he/she sorted them out of the class and into a corner. According to a report in the British The Jewish Chronicle:

According to details shared by Jewish student leaders at the California university, a popular lecturer called out “individual students in class based on their backgrounds and identities,” asking Jewish and Israeli students to identify themselves during a class entitled “civil, liberal, and global education”. 

Rabbi Dov Greenberg, director of the Chabad Stanford Jewish Center, said he was told by three of the 18 students who were in the room that the lecturer separated them from their belongings and instructed them to stand in a corner. The non-faculty lecturer, whose name has not been publicised while the investigation is ongoing, is then alleged to have said: “This is what Israel does to Palestinians,” according to the student reports relayed to Greenberg. 

The instructor went on to ask how many people died in the Holocaust, to which a student replied “six million.”

The instructor is alleged by students to have replied: “Yes. Only six million,” and: “Colonisers killed more than six million. Israel is a coloniser.”  

This has not been uncommon. What's next? Yellow stars? Hamas would love that. Jews would be so instantly recognizable!

How about Let's all be mad at the Jews because they've managed to survive as a recognizable people? Maybe you should call that people envy.

Israel has been Israel for over 3000 years. When you dig up really old stuff in Israel, it's in Hebrew, the same language then as we speak now. Our language was never a lost language; it was always present in our prayers, our texts, our scrolls. We have the same communal calendar we had then, the same rituals, the same traditions, the same burial practices.

How are we colonizers in our own land?

And these people who shout "From the river to the sea, Palestine shall be free?" Free from what? Homosexuals and homosexualtiy? It's illegal in Gaza. Free from having a functional economy? Free from utilities and potable water?

Or did they really mean Judenrein....Jew Free? I think that's the one they're going for.

If you cannot call Hamas what they are...terrorists...or you find you are making up justifications for their actions, you are a terrorist. Just thought I'd say that out loud. Supporting it, justifying it, rubber stamping it...it makes you one of them. 

Body storage for those
yet to be identified.

Arieh O'Sullivan, a reporter for KAN English news in Israel, (and the son of my dear friend Dina,) sent this to his mother this morning when she expressed concern about what was happening in Gaza:

Here you go mom, bodies of dead Jews, unable to bury yet because the Arabs mutilated the bodies so much they haven't yet been identified. Babies, found burned in ovens, put in alive. Women raped and murdered their faces so cut up they can't be identified. Did u see this on CNN? Don't compare us with the Arabs. All of Gaza is hamas. 

Yet, in spite of that, as Jews, we are told to be concerned about our enemies; even as we celebrate our freedom from bondage, Egyptians died. When we recite the 10 plagues, we remove a drop of wine from our cups for each plague to remember the suffering of those who would have seen us dead. 

Yet, even with the murder and the missiles, there is a prayer we've been reciting at morning minyan that has been adapted from Psalm 91 for the hostages, the IDF and the defenders of Israel. Please note the line I have bolded:

Our God, the One who raised Joseph up from the pit, be "a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble" 

Send complete rescue and full redemption to those held captive by the enemy. 

Strengthen their spirit and bring them our prayers that they be protected from all harm. 

Implant understanding in the heart of the enemy that they may return the captives in wholeness of body and spirit. 

Grant wisdom to the Israel Defense Forces that they may secure freedom for the captives without loss of life. 

Grant strength of spirit and courage of heart to all the sons and daughters of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar to release bonds of captivity and allow us all to live in freedom. 

"They shall call upon Me, and I will answer them; I will be with them in distress; I will rescue them, and honor them" 

We are not the only ones who live on this planet, we are not interested in world domination or shutting people out. Israel, warts and all, is still a democracy where Arab Israelis serve in government, the IDF, go to school, become doctors, lawyers, supreme court justices, police people, and do everything a Jewish Israeli does. Straight, gay, bi, trans, whatever...you get to live in a society where you can be what you want. Sure, they are crazy haredi that hate everyone who's not like them, but about 78% of Israelis consider themselves non-haredi. In the same breath, we just want to be what we are: Jews living free in the land we've inhabited for 3000 years. 

I'm guess most indigenous peoples feel the same way about their original homelands. Some have even come out to support Israel and the hostages. A group of Maori in Wellington, New Zealand, came together to perform a Haka to send strength and fortitude to IDF and the hostages in Gaza as they demanded their release. Their Haka is a powerful message that we are not alone in our desire to be our own people. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Speaking of that desire to be left alone to practice our religion and our culture without fear of proselytization from those who think they have a lock on religion....the US House of Incredible Stupidity elected an openly christofascist, Mike Johnson, R-LA as its new Speaker of the House. From Heather Cox Richardson:

The rejection of democracy in favor of Christian authoritarianism at the highest levels of our government is an astonishing outcome of the attempt to prevent another Great Depression by creating a government that worked for ordinary Americans rather than a few wealthy men.

But here we are.

After Johnson’s election as speaker, extremist Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida spelled out what it meant for the party…and for the country: “MAGA is ascendant,” Gaetz told former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, “and if you don’t think that moving from Kevin McCarthy to MAGA Mike Johnson shows the ascendance of this movement, and where the power of the Republican Party truly lies, then you’re not paying attention.”

This guy believes his religion belongs squarely in the center of governance. In their article detailing the new Speaker's position, The New York Times reported:

Mr. Johnson declined an interview request and did not respond to a request for comment about whether he considers himself a Christian nationalist. But the little-known speaker of the House has made clear that his faith is the most important thing to know about him, and in previous interviews, he has said he believes “the founders wanted to protect the church from an encroaching state, not the other way around.”

Just where does that leave the rest of us? Not so sure it's America if this guy and his cabal have anything to say about it.

Yeah, this stuff keeps me up at night. And I keep thinking about mob rule, and the squeaky wheel, and whether or not America is at the end of our noble experiment in democracy. Or maybe this is the end result of democracy? The majority does rule and if that majority thinks Feckless Loser should be the winner. If enough congressclowns are voting a christofascist in as Speaker of the House, and enough people are questioning the veracity of our electoral process, and if enough people are running for office as right-wing local school board and city council members, and enough of those candidates are winning.....that's democracy. 

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Maybe we who feel differently no longer have a place in these here United States. 

Ever think of that?

The Great Replacement Theory Is Already Here

Three mass shootings over the weekend.

Friday night, downtown Milwaukee was terrorized with three shootings. From The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

Milwaukee's downtown entertainment district, a space to celebrate and come together as a city, was rocked by gun violence Friday night after three shootings left at least 21 people wounded — including 17 shot in one incident.

Peyton Gendron

On Saturday, Peyton Gendron, 18, of Conklin, NY had already been on the radar as a danger. He'd already been investigated because of threats he made to his school. From the Washington Post:

New York State Police spokesman Beau Duffy said that on June 8, 2021, investigators “responded to Susquehanna High School in Conklin, N.Y., to investigate a report that a 17-year-old student had made a threatening statement.” The student was taken into custody under a provision of the state’s mental health law “and transported to the hospital for a mental health evaluation,” the spokesman said.

 

“The information we have is he was there for a day and a half, was evaluated and then released at that point,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said. Gendron was not charged.

Almost exactly a year later, wearing tactical gear and body armor while live-streaming the event, the same kid took an assault weapon into a supermarket and killed 10 shoppers. Wasn't enough he posted a manifesto online that focused on racist and anti-semitic beliefs. On the Great Replacement Theory. 

Excuse me for asking, but where are the parents?

18-years old and already a mass murderer. Remarkable. 

Or is it? Not really. Should I name the other kids on that list?

Meanwhile on Sunday, at a church in Laguna Beach, California, a man walks into a luncheon reception and begins shooting, killing one, injuring 5. From the Associated Press:

A man opened fire during a lunch reception at a Southern California church on Sunday, killing one person and wounding five senior citizens before being stopped and hog-tied by parishioners in what a sheriff’s official called an act of “exceptional heroism and bravery.”

And on my television in relatively blue state MInnesota, there are ads for guys running for Congress with big red TRUMP SUPPORTER banners on their ads, claiming they will defend my second amendment rights, will stop all abortions because they are pro life, and will defeat anything this administration wants to do. 

Wanna know what I wanna know? 

How pro-life are these guys when kids can get their hands on automatic weapons to shoot up schools and these guys fight against common sense gun laws? 

How pro-life are these guys when, if access to all health care is made unaffordable and scarce, they refuse to fund programs for low income families? Or want to end Medicare and Social Security?

And how pro-life are they when they vote against repair and maintenance of our basic infrastructure of roads, power-grid, and renewable energy?

I think they are just plain full o'shit. 

Pro-life is when guns are not available to all on the open market regardless of criminal or mental health history. Pro-life would be if 20 kindergartners from Sandy Hook be in high school this year.

Pro-life is when low income families have full access to health care for the entire family, including women in their reproductive years. 

Pro-life is when we don't have to worry about interstate highway bridges falling into the Mississippi River. 

These guys are not only anti-life, they are anti-American and are working for the demise of this country as we know it. 

There is nothing in their proposals, bills, or positions that even remotely promotes the good and welfare of we the people. They wish to repeal, remove, and block all legislation designed for the wellbeing of Americans.

• You want to ban all limitations on gun shows and sales? Sure. How are you going to prevent kids and criminals from getting increasingly powerful automatic weapons to commit mass shootings?
• You want to ban all abortions, no exceptions? What will you do when your wife or daughter has an ectopic pregnancy, loses a baby in utero, or has a blighted ovum that can attach but cannot attain viable life outside the womb? 
• You want to repeal the affordable care act, Medicare, and Social Security? Sure. Show us what you are replacing it with that will allow all Americans equal access to the best healthcare possible. Remind me: who's gonna stay home to take care of grandma when she has no income, no health care, and no hope of living independently?

Just a random thought: is this nation run by the funeral director lobby or what? They stand to gain the most. Then again, they weren't real good at handling 1,000,000 corpses from the pandemic, were they?

MAGA Candidates: tell America what you are actually planning to do, not what you want to remove. Show all of us how wonderful your plans and programs are. Provide us with the details for the good and welfare of this country. Be positive! Be upfront! Share your plans! Give us links to what you're putting in place for America.

I thought so. 

Let me put this another way: if Congress goes red with active MAGA legislators who are planning to stop anything the administration wants to do no matter what it is, count on another four years of Feckless Former Leader as Toddler-in-Chief. Count on SCOTUS to reverse decisions on civil rights for all segments of society. The safety nets removed will not be replaced; discontent will grow, anger will become palpable, and guess what? They will need someone to blame, and it won't be their elected MAGA officials.

Oh, wait. That's already in place. It's called The Great Replacement Theory.

Haven't heard of that one? Let me give you the short version: this is a plan (sinister plot) to diminish the influence of white people in the United States through immigration and replacement of white voters with blacks and people of color. This vast replacement of white voters is fueled and funded by Jews, the most prominent of whom if (of course) George Soros.

You don't believe that's true for a New York minute, do you? Well, evidence indicated 1 in 3 US voters subscribes to at least part of that theory. Remember Charlottesville back in 2017? They were chanting:

“You will not replace us! Jews will not replace us!”

Folks like Tucker Carlson espouse Replacement Theory, but downplay the antisemitic part. Replacement Theory is a recurrent theme on this show, often stating how the Democrats plan to influence elections through forced immigration. Back in 2021, Vanity Fair quoted him in an article:

"Now, I know that the left and all the little gatekeepers on Twitter become literally hysterical if you use the term ‘replacement,’ if you suggest that the Democratic Party is trying to replace the current electorate, the voters now casting ballots, with new people—more obedient voters from the third world,” the host said. “But they become hysterical because that’s what’s happening, actually. Let’s just say it: That’s true.” At another point he claimed the U.S. government is showing “preference to people who have shown absolute contempt for our customs, our laws, our system itself—and they’re being treated better than American citizens.”

He is not alone. Last month, PBS Newshour pointed out that House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, a Congressclown from Upstate New York, ran an ad last year stating 

.."radical Democrats” were planning a “permanent election insurrection” by granting amnesty to undocumented immigrants who would create a permanent liberal majority in Washington.

And she is not alone in her beliefs, either. Scott Perry (R. PA) is right there with her, along with Rep Steven King (R. IA), Matt Gaetz (R. FL) and even Ohio Senate candidate J.D. Vance just to name a few. The list is long. Replacement is perceived as a real threat and its adherents are out there, growing in number.

[Fellow MOT, lemme give you a warning here: if you don't have Plan B in place, you need to start doing more than just thinking about it.]

If you think the rise in antisemitic attacks in the US is an aberration, guess again. If you think your neighbor is gonna speak up to defend you, guess again. They will just draw the living room curtains like they did in Germany. 

The biggest difference between this brewing demise of the United States and the rise of Nazi Germany is that mass media is telling us exactly what is happening. What isn't different is our ability to poo-poo and ignore the warning signs. Come the revolution, we will be caught in the middle....the right will call us enemies of the state because lots of us lean blue, using every anti-semitic trope they can find that calls us greedy, usurers, and controllers of banks and media, while the left will call us out for supporting Israel, apartheid, and genocide. They will find a way to paint us international terrorists because We, one of the irrefutable Indigenous Peoples of the Levant, dare to believe we have a right to live in our homeland in peace and security.

Those things are nothing but brush to fan the fire. From both sides. 

And when they run out of Jews to blame, they will go to another minority. But this time, it will end in civil war and the United States as we now know it will fall. 

Whatever.

I've pretty much given up the idea that the republic will survive. We will be but an odd footnote in history, an experiment that failed. 

See, Americans like to talk about thoughts and prayers, but after so many mass shootings of children, shoppers, concert goers, and people in their own homes, We, the People have yet to get sensible gun laws on the books. Now, the few sensible civil rights laws are about to be removed from the books. Expect no outcry. There will be little more than the occasional whine or whimper.  

In the future, if this planet survives humankind's refusal to acknowledge the impact of human disregard for the health of the earth, Americans will be known as the laziest people who ever existed. Worse than the Romans before us, we had it all: the technology, the knowledge, the wealth, but  abused it all. We were too fat to save it. 

We, the People who actually cared about justice for all, will be replaced. It's not an if. It's a when.

The Wifely Person's Tip o'the Week

Make sure your passports are up-to-date.

And if you think I'm off base, then tell me. 

You still have time to tell me to 

shut up or keep going.

The poll closes in mid July.